French Treat of the Week: La Galette des Rois

My son has come home everyday this week with a crown on his head.  They've been serving the Galette des Rois at school which is the traditional dessert served for Epiphany.  My husband came home the other night with his own galette from Gérard Mulot that could have served 12.  Sometimes his eyes are bigger than his stomach or maybe it was just the last one.  In any case it was delicious.  So why are kids so ecstatic about this galette.  Well, it's not just that it is really good - there is a fève hidden inside.  A fève is a dried lima bean, which has today been replaced by a little figurine, or for them, a prize.  Traditionally the youngest child is suppose to hide under the table while the galette is cut and then the child chooses a slice for each member of the family.  Whoever finds the fève gets crowned and there you have your "Roi".  Luckily, they gave us two crowns at the patisserie so each of my little ones got to be royal.  But, can you please tell me why the fève is always in the last piece!

Santa stopped by the Marais on his french motorbike before heading out on his run this morning. He probably just needed a café au lait and some pain au chocolat for the reindeer - at least that is what I told my son. We will be heading out also, but by train if the weather is permitting. I hate to think of all of those who got stranded this year. Tonight we will all sit down for a traditional French Christmas dinner. Here is what we will be eating.

Apératif

Champagne

Amuse bouche

Foie Gras poêlé aux figues Seared Foie Gras with Figues

red wine

Entrée

Huîtres Oysters

white wine

Plat

Chapon aux marrons

Capon with Chestnuts

(I just read the wiki article on the Capon and it seems that he is the Farinelli of French roosters.)

red wine

Cheese

Brie aux truffes

red wine

Dessert

La bûche Yulelog

Champagne

Café

Cognac

BED

Merry Christmas to all and to all a goodnight!

Joyeux fêtes !

Vanessa for Dinner

The family unanimously demanded spaghetti bolognaise for dinner tonight. My favorite recipe of the moment just happens to be Vanessa Paradis' - I ripped it out of an edition of Madame Figaro. You can have it in French here. I can just imagine her at home slaving away in the kitchen as Johnny Depp watches the kids. I wonder whose idea it was to add the touch of whisky at the end? You can catch her in concert in January beginning the 24th if you already have tickets. Later concert dates are still available. The kids and I listened to this while I cooked:

French Treat of the week: Roulé cannelle

Roulé cannelle

Food and Conversation

My husband and I haven't had a real meal out together for... a long while. By that I mean in a nice restaurant with wine, entrée, plat and dessert followed by coffee, all the while surrounded by other adults who are nicely dressed and most notably no children. In Paris you don't see many children in restaurants. It's not because the French don't like children - although I have met a quite a few that don't - it is because a meal isn't just about eating, it's an experience. Dining out in Paris is a meal for all the senses. Quick banter with your waiter, a tantalizing apératif, the deliberation of the menu, the conversation, the ambiance and the pure pleasure of good food eaten leisurely are all necessary parts of the equation. Don't get me wrong, I do look forward to sharing this experience one day with my children. But, I also want them to appreciate how special it is and that starts at home. If there is one thing that France has over the States, it is a their relationship with food. It's a love affair.

Where did we go? Les Fontaines de Mars in the 7th

What I ate: Blancs des poireaux ravigote d'herbe, Poulet fermier rôti purée, Île flottante

What he ate: Oeufs au Madiran "façon meurette", Andouillette de M. Duval et jus au Chardonnay, Tarte au citron

The last time we ate here, before the birth of my youngest, we had just missed Obama and Michelle who had taken a private table upstairs. Our dinner guests were instead Zac Efron and Venessa Hudgens, though I am a bit embarrassed to admit that A. I know who they are and B. recognized them.

Marché de Noël in the Village Saint Paul

This week-end if you are out and about in the Marais, stop by the Marché de Noël in the Village Saint Paul. Last year, a sweet older couple (very Mamie et Papy) served us delicious crêpes with home-made jam. We washed that down with some hot wine from the adjacent stand. If that doesn't get you, then the other 48 stands of regional produce should do the trick.

Friday Dec. 3rd 14:00-20:00

Saturday Dec. 4th 9:00-20:00

Sunday Dec. 5th 9:00-19:00

Around town

271 unknown works by Picasso seized by French Police in the home of retired electrician.

Win a weekend in London with Eurostar by joining their Facebook page.

Paris blogger, La Mom, unveils herself on M6

Quick France introduces the Foie Gras Burger.

Thanksgiving in Paris

Thanksgiving is a holiday we celebrate every year in Paris with a calm enthusiasm. To what do I owe this tranquility - Judith at Thanksgiving in Paris. Don't you know that most Paris apartment kitchens, ironically called "les cuisines américaines", are too small to adequately cook even a humble traditional Thanskgiving meal, let alone a turkey, be you so lucky as to find one. As if that turkey could fit in your miniature sized oven anyway. Luckly, Judith does it all for you with her Thanksgiving catering menu. I know what you are thinking - that's cheating. Well so what! The kids were in bed and I sat down for an amazing turkey dinner with friends and enjoyed every minute of it. And the kids got the best part - the leftovers for lunch the next day. Everyone was happy. That's gratitude for you.

Tips for sharing this meal with your French friends: No French person can even feign an appetite before 7pm and generally dines at 8pm or even later. Every get together begins with an apéritif. We generally serve Champagne. Also, choose a wine that pairs nicely with your meal. We chose Chateau Fourcas Hosten, a red wine with a subtle fruity flavor hinting of cassis perfect for turkey and cranberry sauce. American desserts tend to be pretty heavy for the French. I found that Peacan pie is generally enjoyed by all.