Chocolate & Zucchini | Page 22 of 223 | Simple Recipes from my Paris Kitchen

Mar
07
2017

The Cheese Geek’s Guide to Affinage

Did you know that France produces more than 350 types of cheese? Each variety is the unique result of a specific production method and aging process, requiring both technical skill and intuition.

We talk about cheese a lot on Chocolate & Zucchini: we’ve covered how to shop for cheese and the notion of cheese terroir, and today I am happy to present a guest post by Jonathan Deitch, a.k.a. Monsieur Fromage, a fellow bilingual blogger and passionate explorer of all things cheese.

Jonathan is an American who’s lived in France since 2009. He recently attended an intensive two-week professional workshop at Académie Opus Caseus, the cheese industry’s center for education. He has generously offered to walk us through the process of making and aging cheese, with lots of quirky details for us cheese geeks to lap up.

Please visit the M. Fromage blog, and follow him on Twitter and Instagram. Thank you Jonathan!

Part Magic, Part Biochemistry

Goat cheeses sampled on Cheese Day in Paris, in January 2016. Note the blueing on the rind.

My recent two-week professional training with the Académie Opus Caseus was an eye-opening introduction to affinage, the process of aging cheese. The principles and techniques are simple to understand, yet they take a lifetime to master. They also serve as a good reminder of the importance of environment and tradition, and the value of patience, honest labor, and passion.

Mar
02
2017

1

Best of February

The Saint-Roch Church in Paris

February was a big and happy month for me. Most notably, we celebrated my youngest son Mika’s second birthday (where’d my baby go?) and I completed the manuscript for my new cookbook, Tasting Paris! I have a couple more sections to write, but the bulk of it–all 100 recipes and accompanying headnotes–is done, and I am proud and excited.

The photos will be shot later this spring by the amazing Nicole Franzen, and the finished book will come out in the US in early 2018. (We’ll be looking for publishers to publish it in other countries and other languages.) I will continue to share the process with you in the coming months.

Things That Made me Happy in February

Feb
23
2017

23

Best Eats in Toulouse, From a Local

Photo: @Boigontier

Travel season will be upon us very soon, and I want to make sure you see and taste the best France has to offer. When it comes to Paris I’ve got you covered (ask me about my tours!) but there are many other places with exciting and delicious things for you to experience. So I’ve asked a team of French bloggers from different cities to share their favorite spots, and I am offering them to you in this series.

In Toulouse, Lucie recommends…

Lucie Paimblanc is a journalist with a passion for the environment, plant-based foods, and Chinese culture. She started her blog Je veux tout goûter (“I want to taste everything”; I understand the sentiment) four years ago, to share seasonal recipes and her favorite places to eat in and around Toulouse. In May 2016, she began a second blog, Je deviens écolo (“I’m becoming green”), to document her journey toward a no-waste lifestyle with zero side effects. You can follow her on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

I actually had the pleasure of meeting Lucie in Paris after we connected for this post; if you read French (and/or want to see my kitchen!) check out her post and video. She has taken all of the lovely photos that illustrate this post, as well.

A greenmarket: Le Marché Saint-Aubin

Marché Saint Aubin

If you are wondering what grows around Toulouse at any point of the year, go straight to the food market of Saint-Aubin on Sunday mornings. When facing the massive church, follow the flow of people on your right, where all the local and organic farmers set up their stands.

You will find bread, meat, flowers, cheese, vegetables, fruits, etc. at the main market, and when you arrive behind the church, follow the inside of the first circle around it where a few food trucks may be of interest, serving empanadas and freshly fried beignets, a French donut.

Feb
14
2017

14

10 Romantic Things to do in Paris

Hey, Happy Valentine’s Day! Do you have something fun scheduled with your special someone, with your friends, with your kids? I want to hear all about it!

For our first Saint-Valentin as newlyweds, Maxence and I had an advance dinner at a new Italian restaurant in our neighborhood, Il Cuoco Galante (“the gallant cook,” named after an 18th-century book of Neapolitan cuisine), where I had a marvellous dish of fresh-made fusilli.

I also surprised him this morning with a cloud-shaped collage of pictures from our recent wedding on one wall of our living room, plus (going all out, people!) I’ve hand-lettered a card for him, directly inspired by one I featured in my Valentine’s Day gift guide. (Can you guess which one?)

And since I write to you from the city of love, inarguably, my gift to you is this mini-guide I put together with 10 Romantic Ideas in Paris, free to download!

PS: Short on time but still want to mark the occasion? These five last-minute recipes for Valentine’s Day are for you!

PPS: Need help getting into the spirit? Jacques can help: (He always gives me the chills.)

Feb
08
2017

7

Last-Minute Chocolate Recipes for Valentine’s Day

There is no shortage of chocolate recipes in my repertoire, but seeing as Valentine’s Day is less than a week away, I’ve handpicked these 5 recipes for you based on their effort-to-chocolate ratio: with these very easy treats, there is no excuse not to show your special someone how much you chocolove him/her.

Of course, a well-chosen present won’t hurt; check out my Valentine’s Day Gifts for Food Lovers, and all my other gift guides.

Also, if you’re in Paris, you can submit a love message to be displayed on the billboards of the city on V-Day! Doesn’t get much more romantic than that.

Three-Ingredient French Hot Chocolate (Vegan)

Can you guess the unusual ingredient that makes this vegan hot chocolate as velvety as you will find in Parisian tea rooms?