Saturday, September 16, 2006

Chanterelle Salad

Either a nice summer salad for lunch or an appetizer for a nice dinner, chanterelle mushrooms on a bed of green salad is a treat!

I used a green leaf salad which is somewhat specific to europe and quite popular in switzerland, a so called 'Nuesslisalat'. If you can't get this leaf, I would suggest using another dark green salad, for example dandelion.



for 2 people:


Ingredients:

2 big handful of fresh chanterelle mushrooms
2 tablespoons butter
freshly ground salt and pepper
dark green leaf salad (e.g. dandelion)
red balsamic vinegar
extra virgin olive oil


Instructions:

Start heating up the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and season well with salt and pepper. Sauté the mushrooms until they've lost most of their liquid. Let them cool out until they're just slightly warm.

Mix the green leaf salad in a bowl with balsamic vinegar and olive oil to taste. Place the salad on plates and arrange the warm chanterelle mushrooms on top. Sprinkle with another few drops of olive oil and enjoy!

Friday, September 08, 2006

A few days in Paris

More than ever before I noticed what a beautiful city Paris is, including, of course, wonderful opportunities to dine excellently if you're careful to avoid the tourist traps. I wouldn't necessarily try to eat in a brasserie next to the Notre Dame or the Louvre, rather walk the many charming streets of Le Marais or Avenue de Buci for a fantastic selection of bakeries and patisseries as well.

There's one particular place I'd especially like to recommend. At Caveau François Villon, 64 Rue de l'Arbre Sec, I ate quite heavenly! The concept of this restaurant is, that you're choosing from an appetizer, a main dish and a dessert for a fixed price which was 26 Euros. In addition, I chose a glass of red wine, a Corbières, which was quite above the average quality of what you'd get served for 6$.

The entrance to the 15th century building, the wonderful Caveau François Villon restaurant.










You choose from six different appetizers, six main dishes and six desserts.










A pork feet terrine with a vinegary sauce and a small salad.










Beef tenderloin on a strong green pepper sauce with a Roesti-like potato pie.










The famous crème brulée.











A wonderful ratatouille with anis seeds, served chilled.











Lamb kidneys on a parsley sauce. Amazing!











One of the best desserts I've had in a while, prunes soaked in red wine and prune liquor.










A mushroom salad in a different restaurant inside Le Marais. The baguette is always served with any dish.









Duck breast on a honey sauce with mashed sweet potatoes. Coarse seasalt and peppercorns are served on the side of the plate to be mixed into the sauce. Good idea!









Caveau François Villon
64, Rue de L'Arbre Sec
75001 Paris
Tel.: 42.36.10.92

Au Gamin de Paris
51, Rue Vieille du Temple
75004 Paris
Tel.: 42.78.97.24

Saturday, September 02, 2006

Roquefort with Williams Pears

I've got a plane to catch in 2 hours to Paris! To introduce the next three days in the french capital, I found an excellent roquefort cheese at the local deli. If possible, get yourself a few nice williams pears. If you can't find that type of pear, any other small, ripe and sweet pear should do. Cut your pear in half, put a slice of cheese on top and bite!

The roquefort cheese (or another blue-type cheese if you can't find the good stuff), is like a dream paired with pears and a nice bottle of red wine. Bon appetit!