A la mode au jus

"Summer ain't over cod carpaccio"

2010-09-06T10:30:00.001+02:00

Everyone is back from their summer holidays and not always very eager to get back to work.

If you want to extend your summer a little longer just try out this nice and easy cod carpaccio :
it's delicious and healthy and the mango/vanilla association is awesome to raise anyone's spirits when the weather is starting to cool down.

Ingredients for 2:

1 medium Mango - ripe
Mint
2 small tomatoes
300 g of fresh cod (or any other white fish that can be marinated)
Vanilla extract
1 fresh vanilla bean
1 lemon
2 tb of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

How to do it:

1. Peal the tomatoes and the mango. Then dice them.
2. Chop the mint.
3. Cut the fish in small dices and keep them in your fridge.
4. For the dressing: extract the vanilla from the bean, pour the vanilla extract, the juice of 1 lemon and the olive oil. Shake well.
5. In a bowl, mix the fish, tomatoes, mango and mint. Add salt and pepper to season (white fish always needs extra salt).
6. Add the vanilla vinegrette and adjust the seasonnng if necessary. Dress onto your plates.

Et voilà ! Enjoy !

Incidently I had fresh tomatoes from my mom's garden. That was the extra touch that made the difference.

How to taste sushi - this is not as stupid as it sounds !

2010-08-29T14:29:00.000+02:00

How to taste sushi? "Just put it in your mouth !" most of you think.
Easy right?

Well, there is a difference between simply eating sushi and knowing how to enjoy it properly.

As I said in my previous post, sushi is an art. Japanese people are dead serious about it. When they eat bad sushi, they feel the same way a French person reacts when they taste a "pain au chocolat" made with margarine:
"Yuk".

So today I am going to try to give you a few tips so that you are sure to know how to recognize what makes good sushi.

1. Try the tamago yaki (a slightly sweet omelet).

This is a simple and pretty radical way to know how the rest of your meal is going to be when entering a sushi restaurant. In Japan this simple sushi is considered one of the most delicate ones and it requires great skill to be perfected. If it is soggy and too sweet, either run out of the restaurant or be prepared to even more disapointed by the rest of the meal.

2. The second easiest way to know if you are facing a good Itamae is to focus on the rice:

How does it taste? How does it feel? The rice should not be too soft nor too firm, and the balance of seasonings should be just right. If it’s too sweet or tastes of vinegar, you are screwed. Sometimes the simplest things are the most difficult to cook.
Rice the very foundation of sushi (by the way sushi litteraly means rice in Japanese), so you should be sure to watch out for it when eating out at a Japanese place.

3. Sushi is like wine: it is about balance.

Inspect your nigiri-sushi (not the maki roll, the one with a little clump of rice and fish over it). In a quality establishment, you shoul not find huge hunks of fish on top of three grains of rice. Although this might seem like good value for money, it will destroy the proper balance of the meal. Japanese food is about discipline and craft, it is not about supersizing your food. For that there is McDonald's.

4. Look for fresh wasabi.

You know that green mustard? If you are lucky what you have in your plate is just plain horseradish with food coloring. If you're unlucky... who knows.
Real wasabi - the fresh sort - is immensly rare. If your restaurant is a real deal, you should have a waiter come and grate you a little bit of the wasabi rhizome in your plate. I know it doesn't sound very appetizing when I say it like that but trust me, the taste is entirely different. Not nearly as harsh and strong, it almost has a nutty flavor. It's like comparing real parmesan and the canned thing you buy at your supermarket. It's just not the sae product.

5. Look for interesting seasonal items.

This is not really necessary but it may indicate that the sushi chef pays extra attention to the particulars of the foods he offers, and seeks out something when it is available and fresh. It will mean your food has not be stuck in a freezer for the past 6 months.

These 5 little tips should help you out to know if the restaurant you are eating at is a true Japanese establishement.
Of course, I don't expect these requirements to be met in all the restaurants I go to but for the ones that I anticipate to be good, I make sure to look out for them.
But what a joy when I find the real gem that complies with all these elements!

Think you know real sushi? Think again. -- Wasabi restaurant by Chef Morimoto in Mumbai

2010-08-26T11:21:00.001+02:00

I have been to several very good sushi restaurants in my life. A lot of them in the

, on the west coast. Some in Paris with a traditional Itamae (sushi chef) that came all the way from

Japan

But it was in Mumbai - of all places - that I tasted the best sushi of my life.

I had vaguely heard of Chef Masaharu Morimoto in the past.

On “Top Chef”, he is the champion for Asian cuisine.

As I am not a huge fan of media friendly chefs, I thought he was probably overrated.

Well I was wrong.

Deeply.

Chef Morimoto forgive me for my sins; since for me, you are now the god of sushis.

(Appetizer: rice ball in coconut and sesame sauce)

But what can possibly differentiate good sushis from great ones?

Is it the fish? The rice? Or maybe just the wasabi?

After all, the ingredients are pretty standard… it can’t be that complicated.

Well it is.

Sushi is an art.

And once you’ve tasted this art at its climax, you will understand why I want to call my future son Uni (urchin).

(Hot shrimp tempura - simply perfection in the form of a fried piece of dough. Who would have thought so?)

Tasting great sushi is the utmost decadent pleasure. Swallowing pure beauty without even chewing it.

It feels so good that it’s almost indecent.

At Mumbai’s restaurant Wasabi by Morimoto, sushi is art.

Service is perfect of course and the view on the gateway of India is magnificent. But nobody gives a damn.

The food is that good.

(A simple salmon maki. With fresh wasabi. Not that green paste Japanese restaurant usually serve you. And oh yeah: the fish is directly imported from Japan. Every day)

(Black cod in miso paste. Gorgeous).

Chef Morimoto, thank you.
And please, come to Paris.

A taste of France in Mumbai - Le 15 Pâtisserie

2010-08-11T08:09:00.001+02:00

I’ve recently fallen in love.

I’ve been swept off my feet by the most unlikely little fellow.
Not Shahrukh khan or any other Bollywood star.
Not my cute 15 year old Indian pantry boy who takes pictures of himself in the mirror with my camera while I'm at work.
Not even the lovely little white dog that sleeps night and day on my door step and doesn’t budge when I step over him.

I’m a talking about love at first sight.
Or at first taste should I say.
The real deal.

I am talking about le 15 Pâtisserie.

Le 15 is a little shop in a hair salon right next to my house in Mumbai

I noticed it for the first time at the beginning of June and was very intrigued to see heavenly looking Lemon tarts and Macaroons on their stall.

It took me a few days to finally decide to try one of their products out – I think I was influence by the ^ on Pâtisserie. So French. So authentic.

And then it happened ; as if I lightening had struck me

Crisp and light, zweet and tangy, crunchy yet smooth.

It was the French culinary arts epitomized in a small unpretencious lemon tart.

It felt too good.
So my boyfriend – who incidently is addicted to chocolat and has devoured no less than 5 le 15 Patisserie macaroons since I have started writing this article ("I'm just trying out the products honey", "yeah right") – said to me :
‘Pauline, we need to meet these people.
I don’t know who they are, why they are here in Mumbai and if they are mean, ugly and stupid but I need to understand how it is possible to create such perfection. Here in India !’

So we wrote an email to le 15 and got to meet both Chef Mukul and Pastry Chef Pooja.

My boyfriend’s fears were unfounded though ;

They were even sweeter than their macaroons.

I really encourage anyone in Mumbai to try anything at le 15 Pâtisserie.

You cannot be disappointed. The only thing that might happen is that you develop a severe addiction.

Like me.

Le15 Patisserie,
Shama Hair and Skin Boutique,
Krishna Building, Near Podar Hospital,
JN Palkar Road, Worli

Why foreign women and wine have a bad reputation in India - Part 2

2010-07-16T06:09:00.002+02:00

Now -or if not check this out - you know why foreign women have a bad reputation in India. The reason, basically, is ... Bob Dylan

But what about wines?

Why is everyone so adamantly – and wrongly for that matter –convinced that Indian wines are disgusting?

Goa.

Again. I know, it is starting to get nerve wrecking.

The city of sin has done it one more time.

The reason why Goa is at the center of the international despise towards wine is not because Hippies used to produce wine along their hashish plantations.

Neither is it because Saint Xavier and the Portuguese Inquisition viciously pored wine on the wounds of the poor Hindus they had just scorched.

The reason is much simpler.

And not as entertaining unfortunately for you (and for this site’s bounce rate).

But first, let me take you through a little history:

Experts believe the grape vine was introduced in India from Persia around 2500 BC as wine is mentioned in the Vedic texts as Soma and Sura. Throughout the middle-ages and modern times, wine was the drink of warrior castes (the Kshatriyas), along with beer and other spirits made of wheat, barley or maize in the North and rice in the South.

The Mughal emperors developed and maintained vineyards in the Deccan region as did the British during the 19^th century.

However, almost all of India’s vineyards were wiped out by phylloxera in the 1890’s.

After the independence, the Indian Constitution strongly deterred the consumption of alcoholic beverages and imports were severely monitored. These principles were expanded with the graduate prohibition of imported alcoholic beverages throughout the country and the introduction of constraint licensing under the control of the Central Government.

Despite these heavy constraints some areas continued to produce wine such as the state of Goa where vintners used ‘Bangalore Blue’ grape to make cheap wines.

Now this is the interesting part for us.

Bangalore blue wine has the status of wine, it has its color, its alcoholic content and its name.

But that’s about it. All other similarities are pure fantasy. Some say even drunkards don’t appreciate it and that its sole purpose is to get you wasted. And it succeeds in doing it very nicely.

The problem is that Goan wine was basically the only wine available in

India

for 25 years. So of course people now believe Indian wine means cheap, yuky, undrinkable grape juice.

But that is far from the truth.

As I explained it in a previous article about selling wine in India, Indian wineries have developed throughout the 1990’s and 2000’s and now produce some very decent wines. It all started out with Indage – known as Champagne India now – who built a first winery in the valley of Nashik in 1985. From then on, other players stepped into the wine industry and wineries continued spreading in the valley of Nashik, Maharashtra. There are up to 65 wineries in the state of Maharashtra today, producing Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Chenin, Zinfandel and even Viognier.

I tasted wines I actually enjoyed very much here. Like Sula Dindori or Nine Hills Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. Actually, I was even surprised at the level of achievement of these wines.

I'm not saying they are perfect but they surely are enjoyable with a nice curry masala dish.

Here's one of my tasting note for Nine Hills, Chenin, 2009

Nose: nice fruity tanginess. Orange, passion fruit and pineapple.

Mouth: the structure is really straightforward. The wine doesn't drop in the mouth, its crisp yet full and the length is good.

Overall this is a very easy wine to enjoy. Perfect for beginners in wine drinking because the fruitiness is really appealing to the palate.

So you see, its like I explained it in my previous article, there's a misconception about Indian wine.

In the same way as Goan based westerners don’t walk about naked smoking hash and pot all day anymore, Indian wine is not the low-quality grape juice it used to be.

Yet they still suffer the reputation Goan history has cursed them with. Shame.

Why foreign women and wine have a bad reputation in India - Part 1

2010-07-13T09:17:00.001+02:00

Ok so I’m putting women and alcohol on the same level. Sin and Sin again some may say. And sadly, India is not the only place where both are highly prejudiced.

But in India at least there is an underlying reason which explains it all. A vessel that links foreign women and booze. Three letters …

Goa.
How did this happen? Follow my words…

As I do not want to bore my very few readers to death, I will divide this article in 2 parts.
Part 1 – Women

Goa has many names: city of sin, city of wine, city of the Portuguese Inquisition.
The smallest state in India yet the most frowned upon.
Goa started out its road towards fame by being a Portuguese port. There, Saint Xavier, one of the founders of the Jesuit order – with his friend Ignacio from Loyola – was an active converter. In fact, the Church was so adamant about converting Hindus to Christianism that the hundreds of temples of the State were destroyed by the Portuguese. The Inquisition played a scary and famous role in making of Goa one of the most renowned places in India.

Yet, by the 1970’s this bloodthirsty past was very well over.

The vicious members of the Portuguese Inquisition – I won’t describe what kind of torture they used on recalcitrant Hindus because this is a food blog after all – gave way to vicious people of another kind.
Hippies.

In the 1970’s, Goa became the hub for nudists, hashish and trance music. People knew how to have fun back then. Sex, drugs and swimming naked in the ocean were basically the 3 main activities of the westerners living on the Goan coasts.

(for the sake of my readership I kept this image in small format ...)

Consequently, as you may imagine, local Indians were a little taken aback (major understatement). Indian men probably didn’t mind having a pot-headed, dreadlocked, all-loving western girlfriend but they sure as hell didn’t approve of them.

Because you see, Indians are pretty conservative when it comes to women.

Women should be covered by clothing from shoulder to toe. They should be married by age 23 – with a male selected by the family of course. And then wear signs of their married status in order not to entice other men.

Oh, and trains have separate wagons for men and women of course.

So when foreign women in Goa started showing their assets a little bit too conspicuously, people started thinking. They started to think that foreign women were easy (to put it nicely). And now, for this reason, I have to wear big bangles when walking alone in Mumbai.

Where does "mumbai" come from, the Kolis, and other random facts and pictures

2010-06-22T15:38:00.003+02:00

Mumbai is a bustling city made of many paradoxes. For the classic European traveler it may prompt many surprises...

Actually it is said that the European word Bombay (the previous name for Mumbai) comes from Portuguese sailors who cried "Bom Baia" (Beautiful bay !) upon their arrival.
Originally, the city of Mumbai was made up of seven small islands- Bombay, Parel, Mazagaon, Mahim, Colaba, Worli and Little Colaba.

The seven islands were a part of the Magadha Empire ruled by Ashoka (the most famous Indian emperor) 3 centuries BC. However, after the fall of the Magadha Empire, deep-sea fishermen called the Kolis became the island’s chief inhabitants. These fisher folk worshiped Goddess Mumbadevi from whom the city derived the name “Mumbai”.

What is interesting about this is that the Kolis are actually still present in Mumbai and have their own little port in the middle of the bay area.

What is even more interesting is the way the other Indian communities describe the Kolis.

Here is what I found on Indiaprofile.com a site dedicated to tourism in India. Insightful as well as entertaining ...

The Kolis-fisherfolk-of Mumbai are a distinct community. In Their dress, their language, their food and their lifestyle they are easily distinguishable. Especially the economically independent Koli women who are aggressive to the point of being quarrelsome.

Blocking the exit of the ladies compartment in the local train, dressed traditionally in their bright patterned sarees, noisily exchanging greetings, are the fisherwomen who squat on the floor of the train with their huge baskets of the fish. Working women hold their neatly pleated, flowing sarees well above their ankles as they gingerly tip-toe around them to avoid any close encounter with the fishy kind. If you hold your nose close to the offensive smell, the fisherwomen range in annoyance and God help you if you dare to object to the presence of her stinking fish in the commuters compartment. She’ll not merely threaten to douche you with fish water but I have been witness to a wrathful fisherwoman fling a fish rather accurately at a very well dressed young woman reducing her to tears!

Kolis, as the fisherfolk are known in Mumbai, are known to be easily excitable. Even an ordinary conversation between them often leads to a noisy quarrel in which abuses are easily exchanged. An exaggeration it may be but the statement is not inaccurate, that ‘a Koli sentence never begins without a vulgar epithet.’ Rather pleased with her aggressive image is the kolin and in the regional Marathi language kolin has become a synonym for an ‘abusive quarrelsome woman’.

OK.

So you can guess that India is a country were casts, differences and "races" are quite significant.

As a living proof of this let me tell you another interesting fact:

any Caucasian looking women walking in the street of Mumbai will be the target of Indian men pinches (and I am not talking about slight discreet pinches, what I am referring to is hard-core crab-like intentional pinch).

A friend of mine who has been living in Mumbai for over a year now, gave me her secret weapon for retaliation:

Bangles.

It sounds stupid I know, but she actually wears broad metal bangles on her forearms (I'm sure she would wear spiky ones if you could find some on the market) in order to give those nasty pinchy fellows a good hit on the fingers. As she shrewdly told me: it does prevent them from doing it, but does give me a personal sense of gratification... and an excuse for buying jewelery !

My first Indian Wedding

2010-06-21T13:44:00.004+02:00

This post will be a little off my usual topic but I just couldn't resist writing something of one on the most entertaining experience I've had since my arrival in India:
an Indian wedding.

People had told me Indians could get a little over the top when it came to celebrating. They said Indians liked to party and didn't mind a little glitter from time to time. They explained that women would be slightly over dressed...
Major understatement.

I thought I was prepared. Grave mistake.
Stepping past the entrance door of the Taj Lands end in Mumbai propelled me in the middle of a Bollywood movie/Maharajah palace/MTV clip. My epileptic friends beware, so much glitter, shine and gold can be lethal.

Now I'm just being silly. I actually had a fantastic time.
Indian weddings are extraordinary celebrations with up to a thousand guests, filled with rituals and lasting for several days.
The first day was about dancing and festivities. The groom and bride's friends had formed groups of 6 and practiced a choreography for several weeks prior in order to be ready to fight for the best moves on stage in front of the whole assembly.
Have you seen Zoolander? The dance-off?
Same thing but with more jewelery.

After performing on stage the winning group was elected by applause of the house. And let me tell you the house was on fire.

On the second day, came the traditional Pushkar. A wedding procession with the groom on a (heavily) decorated horse. The groom is dressed in a sherwani (long jacket) and churidars (fitted trousers). On his head he wears a sehra (turban). The baraat (basically the groom, his horse, his relatives and friends and all the jewelery they can wear at once) is headed by the dancing of the congregated folks. When arriving at the venue of the wedding, the groom is welcomed by a welcome song called talota. Then the groom knocks on the door with his sword and enters the wedding room.

I could go on and on and describe the whole celebration but I think pictures will be way more efficient than my blabbering. Enjoy !

Selling wine in India

2010-06-13T10:32:00.000+02:00

Some of you might know this already, but I have left

France

to go to Mumbai for the summer.

This explains the lack of posts lately.

I am working for a French company selling Indian grown wine in the West region of India (Maharashtra, Gujarat and Goa mainly) for 3 months.

What’s interesting about this mission is that wine in

India

is only nascent. So I’ll be at the vanguard of any further development for wine in a country whose population should outgrow

China

’s by 2030.

To tell you the truth, wine is only at its premises here: although Indian wineries have emerged as soon as in the 1980’s (Château Indage) and developed in the mid 90’s (Sula), the local population is still very far from having the reflex of drinking wine when they go out for dinner.

For most Indians, there are no such things as varietals and wine is only red or white. Women are still very reticent to drinking any alcoholic beverage whatsoever.

And men … well they prefer whiskey.

So you can imagine that the quality of Indian wines has long been the least of Indian producers’ worries…

Thus, education and tasting opportunities during weddings or banquets will probably be the only means to carve in Indians’ minds that wine is not a drink whose sole purpose is to be mixed with orange juice (true story) in order to make cocktails.

The higher classes are starting to get more and more interested in wines, although they are focusing on international brands for now. The trouble with imported wines though is that they are submitted to very heavy levies. For instance a bottle of Moet champagne which revolves around 28 euros in

France

would be 118 euros here.

Ouch.

India

has been part of the WTO sine 2007 but when you see that imported spirits are taxed at more than 250% you understand why Europe and the US are regularly in dispute with India.

I’ll try posting when I can, although my days are pretty packed.

I’d like to let you know about my experience here, with a main focus on wines of course but I will also certainly just talk about living in Mumbai and getting accustomed to the Indian life style.

Next post will be about my first Indian wedding…

Have you seen Bollywood movies? It was just like being in the middle of one…

Bordeaux tasting: what to expect after 5 years ? Part 1

2010-06-01T16:02:00.000+02:00

Bordeaux wines are meant to age.
One could even say that great Bordeaux wines should only be opened after 20 years.
They can sometimes last for a century without losing their texture and aromas.

But people are like children.
We can't wait. Having a magnificent bottle of Leoville Poyferré in your cellar is like waiting until the morning for Santa to give you your new Nintendo game : it is distressing.
And most of the time, you end up sneaking up in the living room to get of peak of what your presents will be before dawn.
Well it's the same for wine. Most of the time, you want just a little taste. Just that one time.
The problem is: there is no putting the wrapping paper back on. When you're bottle is open: you just have to finish it up.

So that is why people hardly get to try out really old Bordeaux wines.
In restaurants they are unaffordable, and in your cellar, well, in your cellar they just don't make it to that point in time.
Shame.

The trouble is that when they are young, Bordeaux wines can seem a tat too tannic, even austere from time to time. And it is not always easy to make out what their aromas deliver...which is a pity when you paid 50 euros for your bottle.

So here is an introduction to what you can find in a 5 year old Bordeaux wine. You know the one you should keep for 20 more years.

I will start my tasting with a Saint Julien (Part 1 of this series) and we will go on through the whole Medoc region with tastings of the 6 appellations (Saint Estephe, Pauillac, Margaux, Moulis, Listrac and Saint Julien).

Château Léoville Poyferré, 2004

Eye: Deep red, with hues of brown and orange. Very bright.

Nose: Prune, black current (typical of Cabernet Sauvignon) and cherry (Merlot). The secondary aromas revolve around spices (hard to tell which at this point, but I think I can tell their is cinnamon). Then subtle notes of cedar and unsweetened chocolate make their way, translating the aging in oak barrels.

Mouth: the mouth is fine and subtle. The tannins are soft, round, pleasantly balanced.This is typical of Saint Julien where soft tannins are a signature.

How to recognize Saint Julien ?

Go ahead and read my post on how to recognize aromas if you are a beginner at wine tasting: http://alamodeaujus.blogspot.com/2010/05/how-to-drink-wine-recognize-aromas-and.html

1. First try to know what variety you are drinking.
If you taste black current, cherry or prune their is a big chance that their is some Cabernet Sauvignon is your wine.

2. If this is the case and you know you are drinking a French wine, it is very likely that you are drinking Bordeaux. A Californian Cabernet Sauvignon would be very ripe and fruity.

3. Now you know you are in Bordeaux. But from which appellation comes your wine? Try to focus on the mouth. As is described in my tasting notes, Saint Julien has signature soft tannins yet intense structure. You may also find mineral aromas (because of the gravelly soil). Saint Julien is an area of Medoc on the left bank of river and is formed of gravelly soil. Wines from Saint Julien can be recognized because of their smooth and harmonious nose. They combine a rich and solid mouth yet display subtle aromas.

If this is all in your glass of wine, then you can bet it will be a Saint Julien.
I know, it's easier to say it than to actually get it right during a blind tasting.

Easy lazy wok for light dinner

2010-05-27T00:03:00.001+02:00

When I don't really feel like cooking but I've got someone over for dinner, I usually go for a wok.
It's quick, light and pretty much unmissable.
You just need to have a few tricks up your sleeves to make sure it's going to be a true success.
This is a special for all the lazy gourmets who don't want to spend hours in their kitchens but still appreciate a decent supper.
Once you understand the global idea, you can come up with an infinite number of variations, depending on what is left in your cupboards... it's pretty useful really.

So here are my little cheats on how to make a scrumptious wok from scratch :

1. Heat it up.
Don't be afraid to have a very hot wok, it will keep your ingredients nice and crispy on the outside yet tender on the inside.
Think barbecue. You are not here to make a stew. Fresh, crispy, zesty are the key words to your success.

2. Use sauces and spices.
Anything you can get your hands on.
Ginger, soy sauce, chili, curry, tandoori, garlic, hoisin, lemon. You only have a few ingredients so try to put flavors in there to pep things up.

3. Make scrumptious sauces.
The reason why restaurants always have thick, scrumptious sauces and you don't is simple.
Two words: Corn. Starch.
"What the hell is she talking about", is probably what you are thinking right now. Well, my dear friends, one of the best kept secret of Chinese cuisine is not the difference between ying and yang. No, dear readers, it is quite disappointedly corn starch.
You will see how to use it in the upcoming recipe.

4. Go green.
One thing makes a huge difference in a wok: fresh herbs.
Just scatter a few leaves of coriander, parsley or even basil on you dish just upon serving it. It will add a dash of color AND great fresh flavors to your steaming plate.

To show you how easy it is to cook a lazy wok for a very light dinner, here is a recipe I made with what I had at home. My guest told me he had not eaten such good food in a very long time.
So you see it is as easy as that!

Easy ginger and soy sauteed shrimps

Ingredients for 2

500g of shrimps (cooked or not)
2 medium sized eggplants
Ginger
1 small oignon
Soy sauce
Lemon
Sugar
Coriander
Shichimi (Japanese chili mix you can replace with chili or tabasco)
Mirin (japanese rice vinegar)
Chicken broth

As you may see in this list of ingredients everything is approximate. I will however try to give you an idea of quantities.

1. Shell your shrimps and clean them. Put them aside. Cut your eggplants in small squares. Steam them (I usually do it in the microwave on full power in a closed container for about 6 or 7 minutes until tender).

2. Heat up your wok. Put a little bit a oil (olive, vegetable or sesame works well). Put your small onion cut into small pieces with thinly sliced ginger (I like to put A LOT. About 2 or 3 centimeters). Cook until tender.

3. Prepare the sauce: 2 Tbs of soy sauce, 1 Tbs of lemon juice, a bit of chili or Tabasco, 1/2 Tbs of Mirin. 1 Tbs of sugar. Pour it on the eggplants in the wok. Then add your shrimps.

4. Cook for a few minutes than add a cup of chicken broth and continue to cook.Pour in some corn starch in a glass, add a bit of water and stir. Add the mixture in your wok. The sauce will thicken upon heating.

5. Cook until the sauce is thick, stir well the shrimps and eggplants. When serving add some coriander.
Serve with steamed rice.

This was a very good surprise. Both sweet with sugar and zesty with ginger and lemon, it also had a final touch of spiciness thanks to the Japanese chili mix.
My friend is typically someone who does not eat spicy at all, so I only used a pinch of this chili mix. It turned out perfectly.
At each spoonful, you have a feeling of freshness and tanginess and it is only once you have swallowed that you feel a little bit of heat in your mouth. It enhances the aromas and adds something to the dish, I really recommend that you keep it in the recipe.

So you see, cooking a wok is easy. You just have to have a little bit of imagination and a few tricks. Oh and corn starch. Don't forget to buy some next time you run errands !

What to drink with curry?

2010-05-24T14:23:00.001+02:00

A week ago a good friend of mine invited me over for dinner.

His specialty: a delicious Mauritian Curry.

One of the characteristics of Mauritian Curry is that it is both sweet and spicy.

Small raisins soften the spicy taste of peppers and exquisite chutneys help you cool off your mouth when you've just bitten a piece of green chili. It's an adventure: you never know on what you are going to end up.

Although this is quite charming and delicious, it doesn't make it easy to find a good wine pairing.

So when my friend told me I was in charge of finding a wine that would be well suited for his dish, my first reaction was: "ouch". Tough one.

Usually when I cook a curry, I go for the only easy wine-food pairing I know for this dish:Gewürztraminer.

Look it up on the internet if you want, if you type "what to drink with curry", you basically have this :

Beer
Riesling or Chenin
Gewürztraminer

And it does work I must admit.

1. The bitterness of beer blend well with the spiciness of the curry, and cools off the hottest chili.

2. Riesling ior Chenin are also a good choice as their freshness tames the chili yet enhances the flavors of the curry with the overall acidity of the wine.

3. Finally Gewürztraminer is both sweet and complex, rich and dense. It's not always easy to pair Gewürztraminer with food as each glass of this wine explodes with aromas of rose, lychee and spices (cumin mostly). Yet curry seems to work perfectly with it. The sweetness of the wine blends magically with the raisins of the curry. The cumin and pepper aromas mingle with the spices of the Mauritian dish. And the overall opulence of the wine disciplines this adventurous dish.

Yet this time, I felt like doing something new.

Living dangerously.

Finding a wine I would usually not drink with a curry dish.

So I went for a strong, spicy red wine from the south of France.

A wine which would contrast rather than complement our food.

A wine whose alcohol level would tame a sweet dish.

Whose notes of toasted bread and spices would magnify the curry's sweet and sour aromas.

A rich and supple texture with elegant tannins which would be in harmony with the opulence of the curry dish.

Vin de P

And it worked out very nicely.

I'm far from being a pro at making wine and food association but sometimes a little bit of imagination can help you find a new interesting combination.

You shouldn't always focus on finding similar aromas in your wine and in your food.

Sometimes contrast is the key.

It can reveal a whole new dimension to your wine and to your food.

Don't only concentrate on aromas, you should also take into account the texture and intensity of the wine and of the food to elaborate great associations that would not seem adequate at first sight.

Domaine de L'Aigle, Pinot Noir, Gerard Bertrand, 2006

Languedoc-Rousillon

Nose: Berries (black and red), pepper, clove, toasted notes

Mouth: supple and rich, well balanced however with surprisingly soft tannins for a Languedoc wine.

Do you like cat pee ?

2010-05-20T21:05:00.003+02:00

Ok I know this title sounds a little blunt.

Yet as you may see later on in my post, cat's urine is one of the most typical aromas of Sauvignon blanc or Cabernet Sauvignon.
That's right.
The wine you like to drink every Friday evening.

But no worries my friends, for it is not TRULY cat pee that you are smelling (just making sure for everyone).
No wine maker accidentally forgot to cover his wine barrels and let his cat take a little swim in them.

It's simply physics. Here is an interesting extract of an article taken from the "aromadictionnary" :

Cats urine does exist in wine! Well its smell anyway. Caused by the Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde compound p-mentha-8-thiol-3-one, this sulfur containing compound smells exactly like cat's urine when in a particular concentration range. When weaker, it exudes the herbal scent of lantana bush, whilst when strong, it has an aroma that can be likened to blackcurrants. And where do you find it? That's right, in the variety where wine tasters see it the most, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon (and of course in cat's urine).

There is actually an Ontario (USA) based estated whose labels revolve around the theme of cat pee and it's a huge success. I've never tried them yet though, but I certainly will in a near future.

To tell you the truth, although I knew the existence of Cat's urine in wine, I had never actually encountered it during my tastings. I didn't even know if I would recognize it when stumbling upon it...
(I know I said training your nose by sniffing everything you come across is pivotal to become a pro wine taster, but I've never actually stopped to smell cat pee. I apologize. I know what you are thinking right now : "AMATEUR !").

Yet when I put my nose over my glass of
Champs-Chenin, 2007, by Olga Raffault, there was no doubt possible.

Cat pee. Yep. The real deal.
And the truth is : it wasn't THAT bewildering. It was even kind of nice in a way. A little herby to put it nicely.

So here are my tasting notes on this wine. We had it with a lovely seabass.

Eye : almost greenish, it conjures up freshness and herbs.

Nose : cat pee (obviously), little notes of citrus and orange, maybe a bit of cut grass (which is a little stronger than the cats urine) and apple towards the end.

Mouth : very acidic (too much for my taste anyway) which is typical of the chenin variety. The mouth is not extremely long however.

What you should know about this wine however is that the Domaine Olga Raffault is one of the most famous estates of the Loire Valley. The range of prices for this wine is between 9 and 11 euros. What may be noticed is that this wine is a white Chinon, which is extremely rare (only 2% of Chinon wines are white as I mentioned in this article). It is made of Chenin, the white variety in the Loire Valley. It can be kept for years and will benefit from aging by becoming smoother and less acidic.

So this one was probably a bit young.

Then again, it allowed me to have my first taste of cats pee. Yey !

What to drink with cheese ?

2010-05-19T15:18:00.000+02:00

Do you like camembert, comté, stilton, cheddar ?
And what about goat cheese, roquefort or vacherin ? Of course you do.

Like most French people, I'm a huge fan of cheese.

Look at this :

It looks good doesn't it ?

Well here is something that might startle you :

Cheese and Red wine just don't go together.
I know, this may shatter one of France's most traditional preconceptions, but the sad truth still remains.
Red wine + Cheese = not good.

The red wine's tannins, its acidity and overwhelming power have a negative effect on the taste of the cheese.
I know this is a polemic issue. I might have the French Trade Union of Cheese makers who will try to pour tones of Camembert on my front porch to punish me for saying this.
This is my mere opinion and I don't expect to convince everyone out there.
However for me it is crystal clear : red wine and cheese are an insanity.

So what will you drink with cheese will you ask me?
Very simple, my dear readers, there is a world of white wines out there, just yearning to be drunked with a nice little Stilton.

For example, take a Goat cheese.

Saint Maure de Touraine for instance. Well most of you, will have it with a soft red wine, fruity or herbal.
Big mistake.
Next time, try having the exact same cheese with a Chenin blanc from Touraine. Its acidity, freshness, even fruitiness will allow the Goat cheese to express its best aromas.
Sauvignon would also be a good choice. Herbal aromas, grass, straw : a perfect match for this light cheese which often comes with a straw in its center.

Here have a bit of this Champ Chenin, 2007 by Olga Raffault. The tasting note will come soon.

Next example: Comté.

Comté is a rather salty cheese, a little nutty too. Drinking it with red wine will simply kill the subtle underwood flavours it exhales.
So go ahead and have it with a white Savagnin from the Jura region. I already wrote a note on these magnificent yet unfamiliar wines (Check it here).
The nuttiness and woodiness will be perfectly suited for the comté's salty texture. Honestly it is simply one of the best food and wine pairing I've ever tasted.

Last but not least : Roquefort, Stilton Blue Cheese.

You would think that with a cheese that strong you would need a REALLY tannic wine, something that can tame their power. Well there again, my friends, you would be wrong.
The sweetness of a dessert wine fits incomparably well with blue cheese.
Try Sauternes, Barsac, Icewine, or Dessert wines from the Loire Valley like Coteaux-du-Layon, Bonnezeaux or Quart de Chaume (see my note on these wines which unfortunately remain a well kept secret). It will give a spectacular end to your meal and you may even move on to your dessert, it will ravish your guests trust me.

Have it with this lovely Coteaux-du-Layon, 2000, from Saint Lambert du Lattray. See my tasting note for the 2005 vintage.

So you see, I'm not saying you should not have red wine and cheese. It's a habit, and I must admit I love doing it. The most important thing to learn how to pair food and wine, is just to do what you like. There is no right and wrong. You're free to enjoy Château Yquem with French fries if that's what makes you happy.

Yet I truly believe that to experience the greatness of cheese (it is the French person in me speaking here !), the subtly of their various aromas, you should really try having them with whites.
Trust me you won't regret it !

And if you have doubts on what you may try with your cheese, go ahead and ask me I'll gladly answer if I can!

5 steps to outperform your own nose

2010-05-15T15:50:00.000+02:00

You want to know how to smell wine. You think it will change your life to be able to make a difference between blackberry and cherry in a Cabernet Sauvignon. And you are right my friend, for it will.

Luckily for you, the does and don't of wine tasting are not very complicated.
It will only take you 5 steps to learn how to use your nose perfectly.

1. Be daring.
Don't hesitate to put your nose way down in your glass in order to get a full grasp of the wine's aromas.

2. Don't wear perfume.
I know it sounds ridiculous, but it's one of the pivotal elements of a successful wine tasting. Try making a difference between strawberry and raspberry with Chanel 5 on you. It might be a little challenging.

3. Try not to have to much food around you.
You may enjoy wine with your dinner of course, but having a Blanquette de Veau may give you the false impression that there is mushroom aromas in your wine. This pesto smell is not coming from your wine, it's your neighbors' pasta!

4. Smell everything you can.
This is a critical point. If you don't build up your own database of fragrances you won't be able to remember what apricot smells like when you come across it. Don't hesitate to sniff everything you can: in your kitchen, in a garden, at a restaurant, at work even. Oh and also, don't forget to explain to people why you are putting your nose in their personal belongings, they could get the wrong idea...
You may check out my post on how to taste wine and recognize aromas. I've got a few tricks that may help you impress your friends! Click here.

5. Try different methods.
Only imbeciles never change their minds. If you realize taking a long and profound whiff of air doesn't work well for your, try something else. Go ahead and take small and quick breaths for instance. Also you may try to keep your mouth open when inhaling, it might help you to get more aromas.

So you see, tasting wine is really not that difficult.
The secret is perseverance and time.
You just need to train, taste, sniff, whiff, inhale, chew, spit, over and over, until you finally can call yourself a real wine aficionado.
If it were only about tricks we would all be contenders of Robert Parker or Michel Rolland.

So go ahead and have a glass! Cheers!

Wine note: Chinon Cabernet Franc

2010-05-14T18:57:00.000+02:00

I am in the Loire Valley for the week-end and decided to try a few new Chinon wines.

Most people don't really like Chinon. They think it is inevitably harsh and green.
And truthfully most of the time they are right. Chinon can have a very powerful aroma of Green Pepper and full bodied tannins that make it difficult to appreciate for the beginner wine drinker.

The trick is to serve it between 15° and 17°C and to open it up at least 1 hour before tasting it.
Most of all if it is a "hill" wine (and not a river wine), be sure to wait a few years before drinking it. It will soften the tannins.
And surely save a lot of pain to your gums.

Yet sometimes Chinon wines will surprise you with their complexity and their fruitiness.

"Les Picasses", Château de Coulaine, Chinon, 2004 (100% Cabernet Franc ) came as one of these surprises.
A great wine to appreciate with lamb chops (like I did), red meat, mushrooms or roasted duck.

Here are my tasting notes:

Color: a bright ruby red wine which gives a hint of what we will be expecting...

Nose: intense black berries (Blackcurrent, blackberry) followed immediately by earthly notes like moist soil, mushroom and a herbaceous touch. After a while and if the wine warms a little you may also find some licorice and cigar box.

Mouth: as expected the tannins are firm, rich but an interesting acidity counterbalances them well.

Piece of cake - my moist orange/cranberry feast

2010-05-13T23:54:00.002+02:00

Dear Readers I must admit that sometimes I try to be careful about what I eat.
Like most young women, I'm a little self conscious about calories in food and I usually skip dessert when I am at a restaurant (all the more so as I certainly DON'T skip the wine !)
Only if I'm really starving or invited at a friends'house do I have a bite of dessert but I obviously feel so guilty the following morning that I immediately hit the gym for a week.
Sometimes it sucks to be a woman.
Sometimes I wish I could gulp down waffles without putting on a pound.

And then there's the perfect cake.
The cake I always indulge in, because :
1) I made it and I know it is not THAT ridiculously fattening
2) It is insanely moist and good and delicious so I just couldn't care less about the calories anyway.

This is my secret weapon against crappy weeks and low spirits. It's a cake that will stay moist and soft for a week (although to tell you the truth I never actually got to verify this because it's always finished after a day).
And it is so easy you just can't get it wrong. It's almost magic.
This cake should seriously be taught in school.

Go ahead, bake it and tell me what you think, I'm interested !

The ultimate Moist Orange Cranberry cake

Ingredients

190 g all-purpose flour
3 g baking soda
2 g baking powder
120 g vanilla sugar
55 ml orange juice
1-1/3 eggs
160 ml buttermilk
120 ml vegetable oil
175 g fresh cranberries
8 g grated orange zest

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a tube pan.
Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; and set aside.

2. In a large bowl, mix together 1 cup the vanilla sugar, the orange juice, the eggs, the buttermilk, and the vegetable oil using an electric mixer. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until moistened. If you judge the mixture is too moist, add a little bit of flour.

3. Fold in the cranberries and orange zest. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and spread evenly.

4. Bake for 45 minutes to 1 hour (depending on your oven) until a knife inserted into the crown of the cake comes out clean.

Notes:

Regarding the egg, I know it sucks to have 1 egg and 1/3 but it really makes a perfect mixture whereas only 1 egg makes it too hard and 2 eggs to moist.

If you don't have buttermilk you can always make some yourself : place one tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar in a one cup measure. Fill to one cup mark with regular milk and let sit for five minutes.

As for your wine pairing,

cranberry wine could of course do the trick.
You may also go for champagne or white dry wine like Riesling. The lime and acidity will perfectly counterbalance the tartness of the cranberry.

Chinese wine and chinese consumers

2010-05-12T23:45:00.000+02:00

Will China become the empire of Wine before 2050 ?

Some purists say it is impossible: quality is still mediocre and people are not used to the culture of grapes and vines.
Yet, China is already the first producer of table grapes. In less than 10 years, the surface of its vineyards has known a 176% increase and now reaches 500 000 hectares (that is to say 6% of the world's vineyards).

Today, according to a report on "Wine in the world as we approach 2050" (See link here) China is the 6th biggest exporter of wines on the planet.

One can't deny that in 2010 beer and spirits are still the main targets of the Chinese market. However it seems that 10¨% of the population now drinks regularly wine.
New consumers have emerged, curious to discover new varieties and learn more about the tradition of wine. To them, wine remains a "romantic" beverage, and the epitome of social success.

There are today five major companies that produce more than 70% of the bottles drunk by the Chinese people.
Cofco (owner of Great Wall), Changyu, Huadong, Suntime and Dynasty lead the market, leaving very little place for other countries' imports. France for instance only represents 5% of the total market.

In a few years, China could even become an important exporter thanks to many assets :
low labour costs, a low currency and low prices for raw material but most of all an extensive network of distributors all over the world thanks to the immense Chinese diaspora.

If today quantity still prevails over quality, new technologies, the help of foreign wine experts and GMO's may help to change this significantly. An appellation still needs to be created in order to track quality and certify wines.

What will be the future of wine in China: will consumers finally adopt the culture of wine or will it only remain a symbol meant to please rising classes that are eager to show their power?
Do you believe China will become one of the top wine importers in the world? And will the empire ever change its focus from quantity to quality?

All these questions may change our way of drinking wine as well as the current equilibrium of the world's wine market. Thinking of the arrival of a whole new world of consumers may be a little bit frightening for traditional consumers like us French or American, yet it also seems like an extraordinary adventure that I would not want to miss under any circumstances.

2 steps to getting invited for dinner

2010-05-11T16:10:00.012+02:00

Do you know if you are a good guest ?

I'm not talking about whether you're fun and entertaining or whether you can handle yourself at a dinner table.

I'm not speaking about the fact that you bring a little present for your host to show your appreciation.

I'm not even talking about your ecstatic praise of the cooks' home-made bolognaise even tough you don't eat meat.
All this is very good, and ensures that your friends will continue inviting you over.
But to be a REALLY good guest revolves around something else.

A good guest helps to magnify his hosts food. He participates to the overall success of the dinner, but without showing it.

The key to achieving this is to do more without the other guests noticing. Don't worry though, your host most certainly will.

And he will do the exact same thing when you're the one inviting him.

So here is my secret recipe to being a perfect guest:

One of the most accessible things that will make it easy for you to score big time with your host is to bring some wine. I know it doesn't really come as a surprise. All the more so as this is a blog on wine. Yet beware, it's not that simple. For my secret knack is not to bring any wine : it is to bring a special one.

1. First, try and bring something that actually matches the food you are going to have.

In order to do this, yes, you will have to harass your friend until he accepts to tell you what he is going to cook for you. Or you could just go to a mind-reader. Your choice. I'd I go for the first one though. I don't like to live dangerously.

If you manage to find a good pairing your friend's food will be embellished by the aromas of your wine. And he'll get more credit for what he cooked.

2. Second, if you can, you may want to surprise your friend, with a wine he does not know.

Try experimenting, finding something that matches the food yet cannot be found on the middle shelf of your local supermarket. It will give your party a theme to talk about and leave time to your friend to prepare the rest of his dishes if he needs to.

With these 2 simple steps you'll be sure to boost your host's party. It is not very difficult and nobody will even notice you helped. Your friend will be grateful for your modesty and he'll invite you to most of his dinner parties.

Free food for the rest of your life, that's what I'm talking about!

Here is an example of the wine I brought to my last dinner party. My little technique worked out beautifully.

Take a look at my tasting notes:

Menetou-Salon, 2008, La tour Saint Martin
Albane et Bertrand Minchin
100% Sauvignon blanc

Nose: Fresh exotic fruits, honey, raisins but also some herbal aromas and white flowers like honeysuckle.
Mouth: A rich and full mouth, with a little woodiness and acidity.

Pairing: Cold chicken salad and asparagus, Balsamic vinegar.

Here is a bit of honeysuckle so you know what it looks like

An easy razzle dazzle chicken recipe

2010-05-10T16:42:00.010+02:00

Yep you got it: this post is a 2 in 1.
A razzle dazzle AND a chicken run.
I honestly didn't even think it were possible!

Thanks to a fellow blogger (actually that's quite an understatement, she's the goddess of cooking blogs in France)I happily succeeded in making my first own chicken "roulé".

Usually when I have friends for dinner, I try something new, something that I would not do just for myself. I've tried a lot of things, had brilliant successes and pretty horrific failures too (fortunately for you guys I don't take pictures of these dishes).

This time I felt like doing something elaborate. Well that looks elaborate at least.

But the truth is, it's ridiculously simple. That's the beauty of it.

A "Roulé" is basically a maki sushi. Only there's no rice. No seaweed and no soy sauce.

You flatten your meat, poultry or fish until it's very thin and then add a layer of something tasty inside and roll the whole thing up. It's a roll-up. And it's delicious.

So here is what I did, a little adaptation from Mercotte's original recipe from her magnificent blog (http://www.mercotte.fr/).

Chicken stuffed with dried prunes

For 2 "roulés" (4 person recipe)

Ingredients

120g of thin italian coppa

4 chicken scalops

10-15 dried prunes

1. Cut a large piece of plastic wrap (film transparent) and set it so it's nice and flat.
2. Use a rolling pin (rouleau à patisserie) to flatten your chicken a little. If you feel angry frustrated you may use a large hammer ; it will work perfectly too and I'm sure you'll be able to let go. Just beware not to break your counter!
3. First place the coppa on your plastic wrap so that it is nice and flat and covers the whole surface evenly. Just leave a few inches on each sides so you will be able to roll the whole thing up. Then add the chicken on top. Finally add a line of prunes around 1/3 of the plastic wrap. Add salt and pepper.
4. Roll every thing up as tight as you can. Then close the two endings and knot them.
5. The best way to cook these little chickens is to steam them up. It will keep them nice and moist. I used my Lekue mini steam case for 15 to 20 minutes at 200°C (400°F).

If you really want to show off (which of course I did) don't forget to prepare some sauce without which your chicken might seem a bit dry.

For the sauce I heated chicken broth (not home-made I must admit), added prunes cut into small pieces and a Tbs of corn starch to thicken it. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes.

The last bit of my recipe was a sweet potato purée(with a tad of vanilla) which I found went very well with the sweetness of the prunes and tender poultry.

As for the wine, I chose a delicious Coteaux-du-Layon, the Loire Valley's Sweetheart (http://alamodeaujus.blogspot.com/2010/05/loires-sweethearts.html) whose rich and fragrant aromas blended perfectly with the luscious prunes and potato purée).

The Loire's sweethearts

2010-05-09T18:16:00.009+02:00

Most people don't really enjoy dessert wines.

They think they are too sweet, too heavy, too powerful. And a part from foie gras nobody really knows what to pair them with.

So they usually end up being stacked in a cellar, waiting for New Years Eve or at least for you to let go of your diet for one evening.

Yet I think this is a grave mistake.

Dessert wines in spite of their ridiculous name, should not only be kept for dessert. They can magnify a whole meal if you accept to let go of your cultural prejudices.

Dessert wines contain a high level of sugar and alcohol. This characteristic comes from the fact that they are made from mouldy grapes.

I know this does not sound very appetizing.

Yet in fact this mould is not just any mould: it is a noble mould, called Botrytis Cinerea, also dubbed "noble rot".

Wine makers can really be poets.

This idiosyncrasy is only possible when the weather is sufficiently moist during the autumn.

Therefore only a few regions in the world have the adequate climate to produce dessert wines.

In France, Sauternes, in the Bordeaux region is the most famous of them all. Just check out the price of a bottle of Château d'Yquem.

But there is also great noble rot wines in Alsace (some Gewürztraminer for example) or, as my main title suggests it, in the Loire Valley.

Chenin, (the Loire's main white grape) is the variety that produces these great dessert wines. There are 3 dessert wines in the Loire Valley:

- Coteaux-du-Layon

- Bonnezeaux

- Quart de Chaume

As they are much less known then their counterparts from Sauternes, these amazing wines also have the great advantage of being much cheaper.

But this is not their only asset! Also their general acidity (typical of Chenin) gives them the ability to age easily and provides them with an overall impression of aerial lightness which is a plus when you want to pair them with non dessert foods.

So you see these wines are magical with the appropriate pairing.

For instance, try to taste a Coteaux-du-Layon with a veal medallion and mushroom sauce.

Or dare and pair a Bonnezeaux with an Orange glazed duck.

Prunes or raisins go well with these wines too. Try it out, you'll be surprised.

Anything with a little honey, dried fruits or foie gras will do the trick.

It's not very complicated and I assure you having one of those at your table will make a huge difference.

Here is a Coteaux-du-Layon I tasted last week and paired with chicken stuffed with dried prunes. It was absolutely delicious.

Coteaux-du-Layon, Saint Lambert du Lattay, 2005
Michel Robineau
Selection grains nobles

Nose: very subtle, fresh peonies, apricot
Mouth: an explosion. Dried apricot, honey, a very well balanced acidity and a round attack. Very long lasting taste.
This wine is just a drop of gold diluted in your veins. It's powerful yet soft, fragrant yet delicate, sweet yet elegant. Overall you really feel there's something different about this wine, something noble and pure.

How to nail a dinner party - Appetizer

2010-05-08T22:32:00.009+02:00

You've got a dinner planned at your place tonight.
And no clue whatsoever what you're going to pull out of your sleeve this time.

Well ladies and gentlemen here is a simple "dazzle your friends" recipe that can easily be made in advance.
I know it seem surreal. Don't worry it's not. It's not even magic.
It all burns down to a siphon soda. And a little bit of organization.
Here see for yourselves:

Tangy Salmon carpaccio with its whipped wasabi cream

Ingredients for 4

15 cl of single cream (crème fraîche liquide)
1 tsp of wasabi
1 lemon
350 g of very fresh salmon
dill
10 cl of orange juice
1 gelatin paper (2g)
Salt and pepper

1. Mix the cream and Wasabi. Add some salt and pepper. Filter the mixture and pour it in your soda siphon.
Turn your siphon upside down and screw the gas cartridge in. Shake it well and set in your fridge upside down for 2 hours.

2. For the carpaccio: cut small squares of salmon. Add salt and pepper, grated ginger and the juice of one lemon. Add fresh dill, mix well and put in your fridge until for at least one hour.

3. Heat the orange juice and add the gelatin (after having left it 1 minute in cold water to soften it). Mix well. Add the juice in 4 little glasses and put them in your fridge for at least 2 hours.

4. When the orange juice has thickened, add the salmon carpaccio over it. Spray wasabi cream on top. Add a few dill sprigs.

With this lovely little dish I would recommend either
- Rosé champagne (Billecart Salmon is awesome, check it out: Billecart Salmon

- Gewurztraminer (Domaine Trimbach is usually a good choice).

How to select wines for your first beginners' wine tasting

2010-05-07T19:09:00.009+02:00

As you may have read in my 7 steps to organizing a fabulous wine tasting -to view click here , it's easy to impress your friends with a few tricks and a little preparation.
You don't need to be a wine expert to show off. Trust me, my friends usually rave about my wine tastings for days and I can tell you I still have a LOT to learn.

So here are a few more tricks to make sure that you too are able to enjoy a great wine tasting.

1. The most important thing you do is select simple wines.

No need to go directly for a Romanée Conti just yet. You may settle for a 5 to 15$ bottle which I'm sure you'll appreciate.
What I suggest you should do, is buy one-varietal wines. It's hard enough to try to understand what the characteristics of Merlot are, so don't bother and buy an intricate assemblage wine ; you'd be completely lost (and worst of all, your guests would be lost too!).

2. Try to go for an all white or an all red tasting.

This will ease up a lot your task. First of all, you will only have so much aromas that you may find in these wines. For example, if you select only white wines, don't even bother to find strawberry or mushroom and stay focused on the typical white wine aromas like orange, lemon, pineapple, honey, nut, litchi, rose or pear.

3. Find stereotypical wines

What I mean by that is that should really try to find wines that display the typical aromas you would usually find in their varietal.
For instance, I would start out with a Chenin wine (not the most famous varietal, as it mostly grows in the Loire Valley in France). Chenin is a white wine that has the characteristic of showing very vivid acidity. So you would know, when tasting one that you would be most likely to end of sensing aromas of orange or citrus.
If your guests (or yourself!) have really never tried wine tasting before, it would probably come in handy to have flavors that are easy to recognize.

4. Buy a little bit of bread or neutral food, for people to chew on when they feel their mouth is starting to get numb.

Also I may add, that it could be useful if one of your guests has not have time to eat before. Once I organized a tasting in a rush and didn't have time to have a decent lunch. Well, I can let you guess that although it was very fun (for me at least), I ended up trying to convince my friends that red wine was actually white wine with tomato juice inside. Yeah, surprisingly enough the people I had invited to that specific tasting never really wanted to try it again ...

If you manage to get all this straight, there is no reason why your wine tasting shouldn't be a great success!

As an example here are the wines I tasted for a beginners wine tasting last week (red and white).

Chenin, Domaine de la taille aux loups, 2008
Vouvray

Pinot Noir, Les bons Ores, 2005
Chorey les Beaunes

Syrah, Domaine Gros, 2007
Minervois

Grenache, Syrah, Domaine de la Citadelle, 2003
Cotes du Lubéron

What to do with Kumquats? My chicken run # 2

2010-05-06T17:17:00.001+02:00

I have Kumquats in my fridge.

A lot. I went on a little kumquat frenzy at my local market last week end.

But the trouble with kumquats is that you can never really figure out what to do with them.

Sure, they are tiny and adorable, but that won't help me to feed my hungry belly tonight.

So, I went through an extensive search in my cookbooks and magazines and finally fell on a charming little recipe that I only subtly transformed.

I used chicken instead of duck. I know. Daring.

This way, not only did I finally get rid of my cute little kumquats but I also managed to post another recipe for my chicken-run. (see my first chicken run recipe)

I'm pretty happy with myself right know ;-)

So here we go, a delicious recipe directly inspired from one of my lovely cookbooks.

Asian style Chicken with Kumquats

Ingredients for 2

2 cups of kumquats, seeded and chopped into slices

1 Tbs of brown sugar (or honey works too)

300g of chicken breasts, cut into 2 inches strips

Cooking sauce

2 Tbs of Hoisin sauce

1 Tbs of oyster sauce (or regular spring roll sauce)

1 Tbs of cornstarch

2 Tbs of Chinese 5 spice

Chili oil (or sesame oil)

1 Tbs of gresh ginger grated (or more if you like)

Half a cup of chicken broth

1 Tbs of rice wine vinegar

The way to go:

1. Combine the chicken, kumquats, sugar (or honey) and 5 spices in a jar and let sit for 20 minutes.

2. Combine the sauce elements.

3. In a wok, add chili oil an grated ginger when the pan is hot. Stir frequently on medium heat for 1 minute.

4. Add the chicken cook for a few minutes until golden brown.

5. Add the sauce, kumquats and stir until it thickens.

7. Add vinegar and scrape the pan to get all the juice of the meat. Add the chicken broth. Turn down the heat, cover pan and cook until the kumquats are soft.

You can serve this as I did with white rice. I usually add a few drops of rice vinegar to give a little twist.

Honestly this dish was easy and quick to put together. The kumquats give it a little bitter taste that is nicely counterbalanced by the sugar and Hoisin sauce but also the spicy ginger.

It's a dish I could really for a dinner party.

In that case, the best wine pairing would probably be either:

- a young Sauternes wine (hense the bottle of Cyprès de Climens, the second wine of the famous Château Climens in the background...) = nose of fruit and flowers (orange, nectarine, mango, apricot) and a little vanilla. Very round mouth, great balance and fresh fruits like oranges.

- or an Alsace region Gewurztraminer = nose of rose, exotic fruits like litchi and orange zests ; Powerful mouth, fruity with ginger and sometimes a little orangy tanginess.

7 steps to organizing a fabulous wine tasting

2010-05-05T16:51:00.008+02:00

So now you think you are good enough to deliver your knowledge of wines to others, huh?

You want to please.
You want to share.
You want to impress.
You want to show yourself and your friends that the money you've spent in wine tasting classes has not been totally meaningless.
But the truth is (and I know this because I've lived the exact same thing) you are terrified at the idea that it might just turn wrong.
What if the wines are not good?
What if people get bored?
What if you don't recognize a single aroma?
What if...

So you need some help. And luckily, as I've been there, done that, I can tell you that there are 7 very easy steps to make sure that your wine tasting will be a total hit.
Are you ready? Here we go !

1. Plan at least a week in advance and think about the people you are going to invite.

It may seem dumb, but I can assure you that a last minute wine tasting is never easy to tackle. All the more so if you've planned to drink wines that need to decant... you might just disgust your guests.
So you need to think in advance of whom you want to see at your little event. First of all, don't go for quantity. Having 50 people for a wine tasting may seem fun, but in fact you might end up with too much you can handle. Trust my experience when I tell you that 10 people is just about right if you want to keep good relations with your neighbors. Secondly, tell people in advance. Otherwise you might end up drinking all this wine alone with your cat and your grandma. That would be a pity.

2. Think about the wines you are going to taste in advance.

Yes I know, it's a shame because you will not be able to blind taste like the others. But on the other hand, you'll be very happy to have a little idea of what you SHOULD find in these wines if by any chance you can't smell a damn thing.
So my advice is to sacrifice yourself (I know noble isn't it)and ask your local wine seller if he knows 4 or 5 wines that would be adequate for an introduction to wine tasting.
And then, ASK FOR HINTS ON WHAT TO FIND INSIDE THEM.
If you have the time and feel a little unsure about yourself, you may even look those wines up on the internet to get a little feedback from the experts.

3. Open your wines in advance.

This is really important for red wines. White wines don't need this and should be kept cool until the beginning of the tasting. However remember to open up your reds in advance or you could encounter two hardships:
First, your friends will hate you for serving them something too tannic. All the more so if they have gum issues. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about (sorry granny).
Secondly, don't forget wines evolve with time and oxygen. So if you open your wine right before the first part of the tasting, by the time you get to step 6, the wine will have completely changed and it will ruin everything for you. No I'm not being over-dramatic.

4.(optional but much better) Buy le Nez du vin (if you haven't already done it).

To understand what le Nez du vin is check out my explanatory post "How to drink wine, recognize aromas ... and impress your friends ! ".
What you need to do during your wine tasting session, is begin by a little nostril momentum. You should select a few aromas (about 20) that may be found in the wines you have selected and tell people to sniff the little flasks of le Nez du Vin and try to decipher what smell they convey.
This is actually a very important element of a good wine tasting session. Most people can't make a difference between a strawberry and a banana (with their nose I mean !) so it usually really helps people to focus on their olfactory sense.
I truly believe this is a pivotal moment of a successful wine tasting so don't skip it !

5. Wine tasting per se. Finally.

After your little sniveling game, your friends will pretty thirsty and glad to start drinking. Use proper tasting glasses if you can and take your time taste each wine individual. After each wine, try to pause and have your friends explain what they felt. You should tell them that this part is actually important because there will be a little competition by the end of the wine tasting, and they will have to try to recognize which wine is in which glass.
Give you guests pens and paper so that they can jot down their impressions to try to remember later on what they tasted.

6. To be sure to win your friends over, you have to create emotion.

Competition and the promise of wining a bottle can be a very good way of having people remember your event.
People are like kids. They like to win. They like to have prizes. So you should buy an extra bottle to give it to the person who will recognize the wines you tasted the fastest. I know it sounds childish and stupid, but trust me: it works! People go crazy for a 3$ bottle of wine!

So do a blind tasting with our four wines in four different glasses dubbed 1, 2, 3 and 4. The person who answers the fastest wins the jackpot!
You'll be surprised how hard this game is actually. Most of the time, if you didn't open your wines early enough, they will have oxygenated and changed by the time the game starts. Also, if your friends didn't spit during the preceding tastings they might be having trouble staying focused by now...

7. How not to go bankrupt.

I promise that if you follow these 6 very easy steps, you are pretty sure to have a great time during your wine tasting.
The best thing to do (to avoid thinking about your diminishing bank account during the whole session) is to ask a little compensation (just the amount you paid to get the 5 bottles) to your friends. Try not to by Opus One or Château Margaux on your first try, people might be a little taken aback to pay 800$ for a friendly wine tasting session.

If you follow these simple rules, you'll experience the joy and fun of sharing something you love to do with people you care about. And you won't even get nervous about it.

How to drink wine, recognize aromas ... and impress your friends !

2010-05-04T14:32:00.009+02:00

It was a few years ago, in a fancy restaurant in Paris. The sommelier delicately poured a crimson colored wine in my glass. The moment was tantalizing. The beauty of terroir. I leaned forward to taste the wine and tell him it was great. Everyone was looking. Waiting. Expecting me to sigh with ecstasy. So I did, of course.

But it was corked.
And I thought it was just a very heavy smell of mushroom. Or someone's bad cologne. Or my nose. Hell, I didn't have a clue.

Now I'm pretty sure this could happen to anyone who doesn't have any experience in wine tasting. And it's ok. It happens. It would just be a shame for you to spend 200$ on cork juice for your wedding day.
That's why I decided to deliver my experience of and show you with a little "how to" post, precisely HOW TO drink wine, recognize aromas... and impress your friends !

1. The first and most important thing you need to do is train your nostrils.
Nowadays our noses have just about all their core functions. They are meant to smell, whiff, sniff, snivel, inhale, and mostly identify. But that last action takes practice. You need to learn what a food or flower smells like and memorize this scent. It should be a game really. Each time you go out in a garden or stand in your kitchen (or someone elses !) just try to deeply inhale and sniff everything you can get your hands on.
Ok so you may look a little dumb if your friend stumbles upon you with your nose stuck in a jar of mushroom.
But remember one thing, it is for the greater good: you may have lost your dignity, but next time you drink a 10 year-old Burgundy, you'll know there's truffle in there.

2. The second thing you should consider is, well, cheating.
Fumbling around your friends kitchen may be fun once or twice, but what will happen if people start thinking your a kleptomaniac, or a utensil fetishist? There must be another solution.
Well, there is my friends, and I, in my immense generosity, will promptly deliver it to you. It is a well kept secret. The secret to learning quickly how to recognize different scents without loosing all your friends.
Here is my secret weapon to shine in society and impress my friends with my super smelling skills (I know it sounds very sexy):
Le Nez du Vin, by Jean Lenoir.
A kit of 54 aromas captured in little flasks (the basic fragrances you can find in wine)so that you can train your nostrils until they die. I do not work for Mr Lenoir, nor do I have shares in his business, but I still really recommend anyone who wants to learn how to taste wine to buy it.

3. Drink and taste as much as you can.
But mostly don't just drink, take the time to reflect and think about what you are drinking. Why do you like it ? or not ? What aromas are predominant. Do you smell fruits, flowers ?

So next time you sit in a fancy restaurant, and the sommelier comes up to you and asks you to taste, don't be scared, if the wine is corked, you're allowed to say so. Just think about your little flask and try hard to remember if it corresponds to the same smell. Before you know it, it'll come naturally and you won't even have to think about your magic kit !

Sunday afternoon tea

2010-05-02T20:20:00.011+02:00

A little bit of sweetness in my world of Chicken and wine.
It can't hurt, and with the dreadful weather we've been having in Paris today, I just felt like hanging around home with a couple of friends.
Hanging around with food of course.

So here's a little improvisation that comes from the Kumquats I found at my local market this morning. I don't usually cook them, there are lovely just like that.

But today, I really felt like baking. And I think my friends were I glad I was in such a mood !

Vanilla Kumquat tea party cake

For a small cake:

2 eggs, 85g of sugar, 53g of double cream (thick creme fraiche), 76g of flour, 2t or baking powder, 16g of melted salted butter, a stick of vanilla, natural vanilla extract, butter sugar and about 6 kumquats.

Use your robot to mix the eggs and the sugar for 5 minutes.
The mixture should double in volume. Then add the creme fraiche, sifted flour and baking powder and mix again. Finally add the butter, oil and vanilla extract.
Extract the vanilla grains from their bean and mix again.

Now if you want it to be perfect put this mixture in your fridge and let it rest for a few hours. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to do that for I had to feed 3 hungry French girls who had forgotten all about their so-called diets.

Take a cake pan and coat it with butter, than spread flour on it. Leave it in your fridge for it to solidify. It will be less sticky.

Cut the kumquats in slices (Half a centimeter wide). Heat a pan with butter and a little sugar to do a caramel. Put your pan on medium-high and stay close to it, because caramel burns faster than you know and it would be a shame to waste all your beautiful kumquats.

When the caramel is starting to form itself, put the slices of kumquats in the pan and coat them with the caramel. Wait for about 1 or 2 minutes until the kumquats are well coated and be careful to take them out before the caramel burns !

Heat your oven to 160°C (320° F. Pour your mixture in the cake pan and delicately add your caramelized kumquats on the top. Sink them a little in the dough.
When the heat is ready, put your pan in the oven for 45 minutes until golden brown.

The cake was delicious and went really well with our tea.
However if you wish to bake it for dessert and wonder which wine would suit it best, I would advise you to try out this wine:

Viognier, Domaine Le Fort,
Oak barrel, 2007
Price around 8 euros
info@domainelefort.com

A few weeks ago I served this with an orange soufflé (I'll try posting the recipe soon) and the result just blew us away.
The tartness of the orange blends perfectly with the fruits of the wine (apricot and peach) as well as with the woody finish and touch of vanilla.
Simply one of the best matches I ever had !
As for our food and wine pairing, I'm pretty sure that the vanilla aroma would taste amazing with this little cake...

Next recipe will probably be about kumquats again. I've got a feeling it would be in one of my chicken run recipes !

Bourgogne mon amour

2010-05-01T22:02:00.006+02:00

Today I went to Fouquet's for lunch.

To tell you the truth although it's a real institution in the world of French Brasserie, I had never actually eaten at Fouquet's before.
A diet coke for 15 euros; I can live without that.

Yet today I was agreeably surprised by the gentle waiters and the delicate dishes I was served. But what really drove me crazy was the wine I tasted.

Three words: cherry, truffle, mint.
The chewy fruit is subtly replaced by a whiff of truffle that finally gives way to an edgy end of mint. Just to keep your breath fresh after the powerful mushroom. Pretty impressive really.

I was so happy with this wine, and with its price, that I convinced the sommelier to tell me a little more about it.

The wine I tasted comes from Burgundy. Although we probably all agree on the fact that Burgundy wines are among the best in the world, we all probably agree too that they are often completely unaffordable.

There are two important questions I consider when buying Burgundy.
First, is this producer consistently reliable, vintage after vintage?
Second, is this wine a good value? Yes, there are many wonderful Burgundy producers, but I seldom want to spend 300 euros for one bottle of wine. Actually the word "want" is not appropriate. I would LOVE to spend that money on wine but unfortunately I have to refrain those urges if I want to eat something else than pasta with no sauce for the rest of my life. Anyway I find it much more satisfying to drink a fine wine that doesn't break my budget.

So to get back to my Fouquet's Burgundy, I was surprise to discover the retail price of the wine I tasted is less than 20 euros. How could this be ? Is there a secret that explains this miracle?

Indeed my friends, there is such a secret, and I can promise you it is not that I was too drunk to realize I had actually forgotten to see a zero on my final bill...

This safely guarded secret is named ... Chorey-Les-Beaune.

Chorey-Les-Beaune is a relatively confidential appellation from Burgundy; one of smaller villages in the northern part of the Côte-de-Beaune which tends to produce delicately flavored Burgundies which are perfect as aperitif wines at a much lesser price than Volnay for example. On the contrary, Côte de Beaune wines are a bit weightier, richer, and rounder than the delicate Chorey-Les-Beaune, but with the same delicious red fruit aromas and flavors.

Here are my tasting notes on this very refreshing wine:

Joseph Drouhin, 2006
Chorey-Les-Beaune

Nose: Chewy cherry that is subtly followed by earth and truffle flavors. The end gives a refreshing note of mint which gives the wine an elegant and edgy finish.
Mouth: The tannins are soft and fine, well balanced with the fruit and final acidity.

Wine Pairing: Overall this wine gives instant pleasure and is perfectly suited for roasted white meats or poultry and light spices like cinnamon or paprika.
You may also enjoy it with salmon carpaccio or duck breasts.

And they gave us some lily of the valley to celebrate Labour day !

Chinon Wine Makers Fair

2010-04-29T22:00:00.015+02:00

Do you know Cabernet Franc ?

I mean do you REALLY know Cabernet Franc ?

The only true way to discover this unusual varietal in its depths and idiosyncrasies is to taste it in a wine from the Loire Valley.
Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil and Chinon are areas that usually produce 100% Cabernet Franc wines and take pride in the specificity of this unusual varietal.

Last week I was in Touraine, one of France's loveliest region, and got to go to Chinon's annual wine festival.
All local winemakers displayed their 2009 vintage and I had the joy of discovering new estates.

Cabernet Franc finds its perfection in Touraine wines.
Here there are two main terroirs: first, those close to the Vienne River which give out tender and fruity wines, easy to enjoy in their young age. Second, terroir from the hillside of Chinon or Bourgueil where the ground is chalky and sandy. These wines have more depth and can flourish with the years.

Yet the trouble with Cabernet Franc is that it is fragile. It may indeed suffer from the lack of sun ; when this happens the wine gives off a characteristic aroma of green pepper that can be a little overwhelming... (to put it in a nice way)

However some of the wines I tasted at the wine festival really blew me away and are the epitome of what great Cabernet Franc can produce.

Here is are a few examples of my personal favorites. Try having a piece of Goat cheese from Saint Maure de Touraine, grilled salmon or roasted poultry with them. It's a perfect match !

Domaine Frédéric Mabileau, 2008, Saint Nicolas de Bourgueil which I discovered at this fair particularly caught my eye:

its very intense nose smacks of fruits with raspberry and fresh black current. Then you may find violet or even licorice to finally end with the typical (yet delicate) note of green pepper.

The tannins were soft, supple for a such a young vintage (2008) and the wine shows a very good balance. Definitely a keeper !

If you enjoy Cabernet Franc here are other estates that are really worth a try.
Yannick Amirault
Domaine de la Cotelleraie
Charles Joguet
Chateau de la Grille (by Baudry, Dutour)

And don't forget the best way to enjoy these fantastic wines is to come and taste them in Touraine !

Easy chicken recipe - my chicken run

2010-04-27T19:45:00.005+02:00

Everyone eats chicken.
It's easy to make, tasty and not too expensive.
Actually, I'm lying.
It's not always tasty. In fact, more often then not, it's either cardboard hard, burnt or totally bland.

So I decided to go on a mission. Help for mankind. For those who are tired and frustrated of eating the same thing every evening. Chicken should be a delicacy. It can be associated with just about anything, so by the time I'm done with my mission, you should be able to fix something up with what you have in your fridge.

Therefore I will be compiling a large database of chicken recipes that I will either try out or create for this blog.
Each recipe will be an easy and simple entrée or appetizer (No, don't worry, I'm going to refrain myself from doing any chicken desserts) that can be put together for a nice quick dinner at home.
Some will probably be more elaborate. And some will take 10mn from fridge to plate.
Chicken soup, fried chicken, crock pot, baked, glazed, biryani, curry...
All of those will be part of my Chicken Run.

So here goes. My first chicken run recipe.

Breadless Spinach Curry Chicken Sandwich

1 Chicken breast
A little flour and a little curry powder
Xeres Vinegar (or plain red vinegar)
2 large bunches of spinach, about 1 lb
Olive oil, extra virgin
3 cloves garlic, sliced
Salt to taste, pepper

1. Cut off the thick stems of the spinach and throw them away. Clean the spinach soaking the spinach in water. Put the spinach in a salad spinner to remove any excess moisture.

2. Heat 1 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet on medium high. Cut the chicken breast in two in its width so as if to mimic two bread pieces. Cover lightly the two pieces with flour mixed with curry powder. Cook the chicken on both sides until brown and moist in the inside.

2 At the same time, or prior to cooking the chicken, heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a large skillet on medium high heat. Add the garlic and sauté for about 1 minute, until the garlic is just beginning to brown.

3. Add the spinach to the pan. Turn the spinach several times in the pan to cover it with the oil and garlic. Cover and cook for 2 minute. Turn it again and wait until cooked. Add a little creme or soy cream (soy milk works also if you want to limit the fat).

4. Place one piece of chicken on a plate then add spinach on top and close the sandwich with the remaining piece of chicken. Add spinach on the side of the plate.
Take the skillet you used for the chicken and deglaze it with your vinegar. Pore on the chicken sandwich.

The association of curry and spinach is absolutely delicious. Chicken is crusty with curry flakes and still moist inside. The final touch of vinegar brings a great acidity that makes this a simple yet enjoyable dish.
The white stuff on the side is basil infused whipped soy cream.
As this is supposed to be a very simple recipe, it will be the subject of another post but I can assure you that curry and basil blend admirably well !

With this dish you may drink:
Apple cider
Gewurztraminer from the Alsace region

A la mode au jus ?

2010-04-20T13:29:00.005+02:00

I know. It doesn't mean anything.

Or so you think.

In French "a la mode" means "fashionable".

So I was a little taken aback when I discovered that in the US it has a totally different meaning. Have you ever tasted waffles "a la mode" ?

If you were French, you'd be expecting something shiny and exciting, something with a twist that could reminisce of Haute Couture on a waffle. Maybe a bow or something.

And then you'd find yourself being served a waffle with a scoop of French vanilla ice-cream. That's it. Disappointing isn't it ? So much for John Galliano.

And what about "au jus" : literally it means "with juice".

To tell you the truth I still don't fully grasp what it translates in American cuisine. I know a sauce of some sort should be part of the recipe but frankly apart from that I'm starting to think that "au jus" could apply to just about any dish.

Take this as an example of my incomprehension ; it's a recipe I found on a restaurant menu in NY:

"Crisp Salmon in Rice Paper with Asian Au Jus"

Sounds good doesn't it ? Well, literally it means : crisp salmon with Asian "with juice".

Yep. Puzzling.

So when I decided I was going to start a food and wine blog and I was struggling to find a name a little more elaborate than "the wineblog" or "Pauline's cuisine", "a la mode au jus" came to my mind.

Why ?

Not (only) to make fun of foreigners who don't understand French and think it's cool to insert meaningless French words in the name of their recipes.

Not to celebrate toppings on waffles or gravy sauce.

No.

I just wanted to show the world (or rather my amazing readership which has recently doubled and is now excitedly composed of my sister and my boyfriend... ouch) that speaking about food and wine should not be only left to culinary experts.

I believe wine tasting is not only meant for posh dinner parties and Oxford dictionary employees.

It should be democratized, made easy and enjoyable for simple amateurs like me.

So my purpose with this title is to expose the absurd use of meaningless words such as a la mode, au jus but also bony, loyal, musty, flabby and my personal favorite "gluggable"...

I just want to keep it simple. Show people that you can enjoy a good glass of wine and even have an opinion about it without having to speak in cryptic language.

A waffle with ice cream is just as good when it's not "a la mode".

Independent Wine Makers Fair

2010-04-19T10:00:00.003+02:00

Twice a year the Independent Wine Makers Fair (Salon des Vignerons Indépendants) takes place in Paris.

It's quite an event, and the occasion for amateur wine connoisseurs like me to discover small estates that are hardly sold on the mainstream wine market.

I went there with a couple of friends to experience the frenzy of tasting wines from 9am to 5 pm in a gigantic garage-like hall that held approximately 1000 wine makers.

We started out spitting our wine, but by 2pm we had completely forgotten all about our spitting cups. So I'm not sure my judgment on the last wines we tasted is totally accurate...

In fact, I realized the following morning that I had bought 3 times as much wine past that time.

Unfortunately, I don't think this is because we got lucky and found the best estates towards the end.

We did find some very interesting wines though. And at fairly decent prices.

I literally uttered a cry when I saw 30 feet from me one of the Jura wines I like the most. It's almost impossible to find it in Paris and the only way to get a hold of it is to order it directly at the estate.

I had come across it during an organized wine tasting last march in a upscale hotel in Paris, and since then I just could not find it anywhere.

So when I saw "Domaine de l'Etoile", Jura right in front of me, I simply lost it.

My friends got a little scared and I think they might have assumed someone had put something in my wine. Nope. I was just on wine frenzy.

So I ran to their counter, tasted everything they had, raved about how delicious everything I drank was (yeah okay for this one I didn't spit), and bought way too much for my cellar to hold.

I don't care. The nuttiness, the golden hues and powerful scent of this wine just swept me off my feet.

Here are my tasting notes on this fabulous yet very particular wine:

Domaine de l'Etoile

G. Vandelle et fils

Cuvée des Ceps d'or, 2006

8,5 euros

100% chardonnay.
Golden robe, bright. It exhales an elegant and complex scent of hazelnut, nut and oriental spices. Its mouth is long, and gives out a good balance between acidity and mineral flavors. Explosion of nut and wood.
This one is a keeper, 10 years easy according to the wine maker.
Perfect with parmiggiano cheese, comté or "poulet aux morilles" (chicken with morel mushroom) a typical dish from the Jura region, you may also enjoy it with chicken and cream or American style lobster. I'm hungry just thinking about it.

I also bought a typical wine from the region called "Vin de paille" (Straw wine).
The name comes from the beautiful color of the wine which reminds the taster of Monet's paintings of the French countryside.

In order to make this wine, grapes have to be kept at least 6 weeks on wicker racks. Then it requires at least 18 months in wood barrels and ages 3 years.

This wine is for special occasions. It is rare and more and more appreciated by connoisseurs.

Nose: sultana raisin, apricot, cocoa bean.
Mouth: exquisite balance, dried fruits, vanilla

Domaine de l'Etoile

G. Vandelle et fils

Vin de paille, 2000

Chinese Sushi

2010-03-23T09:13:00.002+01:00

I’m a big fan of sushis.

I love their scrumptious texture, the oily sensation they distil on your tongue, their melt-in-the mouth quality.

That’s when they are good of course. And fresh. Which is scarcely the case.

I don’t know if this is so in the US or England – I’m sure it’s not in Japan – but in France, or in Paris at least, Sushi restaurant are more often than not managed by Chinese people.

I discovered this a few years ago, when I was having lunch at a little sushi place and I heard the sushichef speaking Cantonese to one of his waiters.

Oh, and they had ha-kao on the menu. And spring rolls.

I know. I’m quite sagacious aren’t I ?

So I was pretty disappointed to find out that my favourite sushiplace in Paris was not Japanese.

After doing a little bit of research, I realized that there is actually a list – THE list ! – published by the Japanese Embassy that references all the true Japanese restaurant in Paris.

So I decided to check those restaurants out. And I can tell you that there is absolutely nothing in common between the restaurants on the list, and the others.

Now I’ve got a new favourite Sushi restaurant in Paris. It’s Japanese. And everything is Japanese about the place.

It’s tiny and perfectly well-kept. It looks like a miniature restaurant, a playmobile house. In which every detail has been designed and thought of in advance. I really don’t want to sound condescending or anything because I truly admire the Japanese people and their way of living, but really ; every thing is just so cute in there! It's ravishing!

The carrots are chopped so finely, you can practically see an old Japanese Grandma spending hours on a stool to delicately carve these vegetables. In my mind, I see her handling the carrots like little baby birds, with incredible care and love. The porcelain bowls have minute and graceful drawings. You feel the sushi have been artfully cut with a precision coming from ancient tradition.

Eating sushi at a true Japanese restaurant is like taking a journey in 19^th CenturyOsaka. You marvel at the food but also at the whole universe that comes with it.

Next time you have great sushi, just close your eyes, breath, and let the fish melt in your mouth. Feel all the years of tradition that permeate through this tiny bite. Feel the spirituality of a whole people. I bet you’ll hear the humming of an old Japanese chef cutting a perfect piece of red tuna.

Okamé
260, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré
75008 Paris
Tél : 01-43-80-20-00

Armenia's finest

2010-03-12T16:23:00.002+01:00

Dear Readers, I have a confession to make.

Half of my crazy family is Armenian.

We are all spread out around the world and almost none of us speak Armenian any more.

As for me, I haven't even been to Armenia.

Yet there is something that keeps us together. Something that seems to be intrinsicly linked to Armenian people and makes them stand out in a crowd.

I'm not talking about Armenian's way of wearing leopard print all the time. I'm not even referring to their overwhelming Christian faith. Or their so-called hatred of the Turks.

No, my friends, there is something much greater, that every Armenian will relate to and shares.

Love for food.

Really. I'm not just making a statement.

I am in fact uncovering a stately truth.

Armenian's have the reputation of being merchants - or to put it in a less PC way, swindlers. They are known for their adaptability and their knowledge of state matters.

The truth is they just care about food. And we are certainly not ashamed of it.

So when my Armenian family plans a gathering, I know I should be expecting something special.

Beureks are handled with so much care and love that they could be mistaken for new born kittens.

Pastourma is basically considered a national treasure and Manti... ah you don't know Manti? Manti is the very reason we Armenian wake up in the morning.

It's our fire, our fuel, our ocean. (I know I'm taking this pretty seriously). We know when we eat it that this could be the food of gods. But then again we're Christians so no blasphemy intended of course.

Yesterday I attended one of these meetings. The food was scrumptious of course and the company jolly.

There was everything I could dream of.

But take a look for yourselves :

Most of these recipes are unfortunately kept secret by my grand-mother (the true head of Armenian mafia according to me), and should would gladly cut my two ears if I were to divulge any of them.

However as she doesn't really understand the concept of Internet and blogging I might try my luck and give you at least the famous Beurek's traditional recipe.

Enjoy !

Filling:
1/2 lb. string or curd cheese, crumbled
1/4 lb. Feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 lb. Halloumi cheese, crumbled
2 eggs lightly beaten
Puff Pastry :
10 5x5 Indo-European puff pastry squares (or cut filo dough accordingly)
2 eggs lightly beaten
Combine the cheeses and the 2 eggs in a mixing bowl, blending well. Set aside.
Beat one egg lightly in a small bowl.
Take the pastry squares
Place one square on work surface
Brush the edges of the square with the beaten egg.
Place 2 tablespoons of filling in the center of the square.
Pick up one corner and fold it over the opposite corner to form a triangle.
Press the edges tightly together with a fork to seal.
Brush the triangle top with the beaten egg.
Place on lightly oiled baking sheets.
Chill for at least 20 minutes.
Bake at 400 degrees F for 10 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 degrees and bake another 15 minutes or until golden brown.
Serve hot or at room temperature

26 years old, not a wrinkle.

2010-03-08T21:00:00.002+01:00

Of course it's not me I am talking about.

I'm talking about someone special. Someone I met quite a while ago, during a dinner party at my parents' house in the Alps.

I'm talking about one of my first experiences as a wine lover.

I'm talking about Château La Lagune, 1983.

My dad introduced me to wines when I was fairly young. He was a wine amateur himself and decided his kids should enjoy the luxury of tasting good wines when the occasion came up.

At that time, I wasn't really interested in wines. Diet coke or Snapple were more like it for me.

But on that evening, my dad decided I should be granted the pleasure of tasting the delicious wine he and his guests were savoring.

So he introduced me to it. Told me it was a wine as old as me.

In fact, he had bought because it was my birth year (how I regret my mother didn't put a little more pressure on my dad to have a child earlier ; I could have been from 1982 ... the year of the century !).

My father took all the time necessary to explain to me this wine was from Haut-Medoc, one of the greatest wine making regions in the world. Bordeaux. A name of earth, water and stone. A name of dignity and magnificence.

I realize now that at that very moment, my father tried to convey to me the sublime of wine tasting.

I got closer to the divine beverage. I inhaled its aroma. Dipped my lips lightly.

Disgusting.

I hated it. I thought I was drinking cough medicine.

But then again, I was 13.

Now I am 26. I've discovered the joys of enjoying wine. Unraveling its mysteries and taming its fierce body. I had the pleasure of sharing another bottle of La Lagune, 1983 with my father.

And it rocked !

The wine had not taken a wrinkle.

60% Cabernet Sauvignon ; 30% Merlot and 10% PetitVerdot. The elegance of this Ludon wine had not been the least tarnished.

The nose : Bright, red apple skin/black current/cedar/cigar box.
The mouth : Sweet, lifted and very fine. Long firm palate with sweet blackcurrant and cedar. Subtle and elegant.

I realize my tastings of La Lagune may never be completely objective. I think I am emotionally attached to this wine. It's my Madeleine de Proust as one could say. It brings back memories and emotions I feel very proud of.

Wine tasting in Boston - Chile & Argentina

2010-03-07T16:11:00.002+01:00

The weather gets pretty cold in Boston.

So a bunch of HBS guys decided it would be a good idea to get warmer buy trying out a few wines from South America during a small wine tasting session.

Now to tell you the truth, I'm not a big drinker of South American wines.

Not that I don't enjoy them - usually their powerful berry flavors are rather ravishing - but it's just not easy to find good quality yet affordable prices for these wines in France.

I don't know if this is French wine retailers' sly way to promote French wines by only offering the worst new world wines they can get their hands on. I know for a fact that there are great South American wines. Some are probably among the best wines on earth (like the beautiful Bodega Noemia de Patagonia) but a fact remains that cannot be ignored : each time I've tried a South American wine in France, it's been

- Either completely bland

- Or a woody vanilla syrup

But I'm not risk adverse. And I'm not (totally) chauvinistic. So I decided I would give it a try. Again. And this time from a wine cellar in the US. To try to get rid of my bad luck.

So I went to the Cambridge's liquor store with my boyfriend (I definitely don't recommend it : the store's salesman is a mute Nintendo addict who quite evidently hates his job almost more than he hates every single customer that dares to disturb his peaceful nap).

There, we tried to find 4 bottles of South American wines for our little wine tasting.

I know I'm being a little hard on this liquor store ; I apologize. It has its assets too. For instance, the choice of wines is so poor that it never takes more than 10mn to get what your looking for. There were 6 South American wines. 4 came from the same winery.

So the choice came pretty easily really.

Here's what we got :

- Kaiken, Malbec, 2005 (Argentina)

- Apaltagua Grial Carmenere 2003 (Chile)

- Apaltagua Reserve, 2007, Cabernet Sauvinon (Chile)

- Apaltagua Carmenere Envero, 2007 (Chile)

We started out with the Apaltagua Carmenere (a typical Chile grape that used to be cultivated in the Bordeaux Region in the 18th century) :

Made from 100% Carmenère grapes, this wine shows a rather poor nose. Some berry fruit, plum and a little black pepper. The mouth is not much better, berryish fruit on the palate, moderate length and intensity.

2. Second was the Apaltagua Reserve, Cabernet Sauvignon :

The nose exhales ripe berry notes, not too strong though, and some tobacco hints. The mouth is fairly supple and rounded yet a little greasy on the end. The length is moderate.

3. Third we tasted the Malbec from Kaiken :

After the disappointment of the first two wines we were expecting explosive fruits and chewy tannins from the Malbec. Once again, the disappointment was great...

The nose : ripe blueberry or huckleberry, hints of soil. The mouth displays intensity, with strong tannins; and a rather long finish.

4. Last but not least we kept the best for the end : Apaltagua Grial Carmenere 2003

Grial is supposed to be among the very best Carmeneres produced today. Extreme measures are taken in fruit selection and the price range of this wine (45 $ was significantly higher than the other' which revolved around 15$). So I was fairly excited to try it out.

Nose : ripe black current, mushroom, vanilla and woodiness. The mouth had a decent length with strong tannins that hint at a reasonably long cellaring capacity.
The result was significantly better than for the others yet we all agreed to say it was overpriced considering it's value.

Overall the wines were rather bland and weak but the evening was still great thanks to the cheerful company of the French association of Harvard Business School. Thanks guys !

I'm not going to let this semi failure bring my spirits down though. I know there are plenty of great South American wines out there, that are just craving to be tasted. I just need to find them. It's a little like finding your size on a 50% off jeans at Macy's on the last day of sales. It's pretty rare and it certainly isn't easy, but it happens. You just have to continue looking.

And I truly believe wine is about trying out as much products as you can.

So I guess I'm just going to have to organize another wine tasting focused on South American wines some time soon. What a shame ! ;-)

At the beginning there was wine

2010-03-06T00:57:00.000+01:00

Five years ago I didn't drink a drop of wine.

So when my boyfriend would try to please me and buy me a glass of champagne at a fancy restaurant, I would either "accidentally" spill it on my neighbor or just drink it without breathing and try to forget the taste.

After two or three of these I'd either collapse directly on the floor or start a life-changing conversation about Indonesian food with my unknown (yet wet) neighbor.

This was before.

Now that I actually enjoy wine, I can also bear to drink more of it.

The good part is that I've discovered a whole new world of tastes and whiffs.

But the bad news is that it costs a hell of a lot more to get me talking about Indonesian food to a stranger.

But don't you get worried my lovely reader, I'm still pretty efficient at talking about nonsense...

This is why I created this blog : to talk about wine, food and and well, any other goddamn thing I feel like.

Naturally I'm going to try to stay focused on foods and wines as I would like my readership to be at least composed of more than three people (thanks mom and dad for putting up with this)...

The purpose of this blog is share with as many people as possible my love for tasting things. Be it pizza, truffle, Mumm champagne or soy milk, I would like to convey my impressions and appreciation of each product I try because I truly believe that analyzing what you eat or drink is the best way to enjoy it.

So basically here is how it's going to be :

I'm going to post videos and written analyzes of my tasting sessions, tips on how to appreciate great foods and wines and sometimes - when I feel nerdy- facts and figures about a product I particularly like.

Although I'd love to be able to share with you my passion for Château Margaux, I just so happen to drink it once every ten years. So the good news for you dear readers is that it's not going to be too hard to follow my tastings as the products I'll select will be pretty affordable and available.

One last thing :

I'm not pretending to be an expert or anything. I'm just a fairly short French girl who really likes to eat, drink and, well, let's be honest, talk a little too much about myself.

If you like training your taste buds too ; this blog's for you.