Le Harcourt – An Exquisite Dessert by Chef Guy Martin and Baccarat

Le Harcourt dessert by Chef Guy Martin Cristal Room Baccarat Paris photo by Paige Donner copyright 2015

by Paige Donner

Inspired by the 250th anniversary of the house of Baccarat, Chef Guy Martin created Le Harcourt, an equally exquisite dessert to match the heritage of the crystal house and its emblematic crystal glass, Le Harcout. 

Chef Guy Martin's restaurant, the Cristal Room is housed within the Baccarat Museum in Paris' chic and exclusive 16th arrondissement. The glass itself, Le Harcourt, was inspired by the chalice seen by King Louis-Philippe in 1841. For this dessert, full of wild and flavorful strawberries, the Chef and his team fashioned a white chocolate replica in the exact mold of this signature Baccarat crystal glass. This version, however, is edible! 

Chef Guy Martin's Cristal Room Baccarat Paris photo by Paige Donner copyright

Chef Guy Martin's Cristal Room Baccarat Paris photo by Paige Donner copyright

Chef Guy Martin's Cristal Room Baccarat Paris photo by Paige Donner copyright

A TIP: If ever you are in Paris and are searching for one of the city's most divinely romantic spots, it is here at the Cristal Room Baccarat on the Place des Etats-Unis.

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Paris GOODfood+wine Episode 3 on World Radio Paris

Paris GOODfood+wine airing on World Radio Paris

by Paige Donner

In this episode of Paris GOODfood+wine you'll to hear all about a small French bird called the ortolan, considered a traditional culinary delicacy in some circles. 

The Ortolan, considered a (forbidden)delicacy in certain circles in SWest France.

Next, Paris restaurant critic and book author Alec Lobrano joins us again to review the hot, trendy, new restaurant Porte 12 in Paris' 10th arrondissement.

dish featured at Porte 12 Restaurant

Gabrielle Mondesire brings us her second installment from her interview of famed Parisian baker, Frédéric Lalos who goes a bit technical on us when he translates the fine art, and science, of fabulous bread baking. 

jonathan bauer monnaret - France's Sommelier of the Year

To round up, I bring you an interview with Jonathan Bauer Monnaret, named Sommelier of The Year by the prestigious French food and wine magazine, Gault&Millau. He is the head sommelier at Spring restaurant in Paris' Les Halles district. 

Photo courtesy ParisPaysanne.com/ Emily Dilling

And to finish with a tasty bang, Emily Dilling, who is founder and editor of her blog, Paris Paysanne, takes us on a tour of the Daumesnil fresh market in Paris' 12th arrondissement. 

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MSNBC’s First-Ever Food Correspondent, Chef Tom Colicchio

Tom Colicchio, celebrity chef and founder of Food Policy Action says, "We're going to send a clear message to Congress that we're organized, we're viable, we're strong, and yes we have a food movement and it's coming for you."

Blog MashUp by Paige Donner

Colicchio announced recently that he will be MSNBC's first-ever food correspondent. He will also host his own weekly show, "Stirring the Pot," on MSNBC's new online channel Shift this spring.

A few weeks ago, he joined Senators Barbara Boxer and Richard Blumenthal and Representative Peter DeFazio as they reintroduced a genetic engineering food labeling bill.

Chef Tom Colicchio

Chef Tom Colicchio may be best known as the head judge on Bravo's "Top Chef," owner of a chain of restaurants and host of the new show, "Best New Restaurant." But the renowned chef is also dedicated to food policy reform. He co-founded Food Policy Action in 2012 to educate the public about food policy and to pressure politicians to reform the food system.

His solution for the impasse in Congress: "they need to sit down around the table and have a good meal. They need to break bread and have a discussion."

It's not only Congress that needs to sit down, eat a meal and talk about food. Everyone needs to. "Sitting down and asking questions about food is something that is missing right now," says Colicchio. "If you look at the last election, food never came up. Hunger barely came up. So let's have this discussion. Let's talk about food."

The chef points out that a lot of stories we hear about in the news are really food stories. The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is a food story because "it affects the food chain, the fisheries and people's livelihoods that rely on those fisheries." Same goes for the "overuse of pesticides, which leach into the waterways and create a dead zone in the Gulf. Another food story."

"People are ready for that next conversation about food," says Colicchio. "People want to know what's in their food, they want to understand food safety, they want to understand social and economic issues around food and they want to fix hunger problems."

"This is a big deal," author Michael Pollan told the LA Times. "The fact is that people are deeply engaged by food stories, whether about food safety, nutrition, hunger, animal welfare, public health or the environment. Tom has a sufficiently broad grasp of the issues to connect the dots between food and all these issues."

msnbc.com

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France - L.A. Culinary Connection March 11th to 14 - It's All About The Cuisine, Bébé

Sponsored Post

Over twenty Michelin-Starred Chefs and James Beard Award Nominees and Winners represented in second annual culinary showcase at L.A. LIVE, March 11-14, 2015

All-Star Chef Classic showcases renowned domestic and international chef talent in a series of interactive dining experiences, bringing over 3,500 fans 'kitchen-side' for unparalleled access to their favorite chefs—the first ever event showcase of its kind in the food festival landscape.

Six immersive, chef-led dining experiences will take place at L.A. LIVE's custom-built Event Deck, including the bespoke Restaurant Stadium and Chefs' Tasting Arena for a three-part Masters dinner series dedicated to French, British, and American talent; the Grill & Chill, a celebration of open-flame cooking; Kitchen Kids, a record-setting large-scale cooking class for kids and Cook for the Cure to spread awareness and benefit those fighting cancer and celebrate those who have won the battle.

The 2015 All-Star Chef Classic will include more than 25 internationally-renowned chefs and personalities:

Ludo Lefebvre (Trois Mec, Los Angeles), Inaki Aizpitarte (Le Chateaubriand, Paris), David Toutain (Restaurant David Toutain, Paris), Sven Chartier (Saturne, Paris), Nancy Silverton (Mozza, Los Angeles), Daniel Patterson (Coi, San Francisco), Christina Tosi (Momofuku Milk Bar, New York), Michael Cimarusti (Providence, Los Angeles), Jenn Louis(Lincoln, Portland), Suzanne Goin, (Lucques, Los Angeles), Waylynn Lucas (fonuts, Los Angeles), Jon Shook and Vinny Dotolo (Animal, Son of a Gun, Los Angeles), Jonathan Waxman (Barbuto, New York), David Lefevre (MB Post, Manhattan Beach), Aarón Sánchez (Paloma, Stamford), Wylie Dufresne (wd-50, Alder, New York), Suzanne Goin (AOC, Lucques, Tavern, Los Angeles), Josiah Citrin (Melisse, Los Angeles), Zoe Nathan (Huckleberry Café & Bakery, Santa Monica), Carolynn Spence (Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles), Mark Hix (Hix, London), James Lowe (Lyle's Restaurant, London), Daniel Doherty (Duck and Waffle, London), Skye Gyngell (Spring, London), and Bryn Williams (Odette's, London).

Celebrating the passion, innovation, and community of great food and cooking with the industry's most venerable personalities, the 2015 All-Star Chef Classic lineup includes:

Wednesday, March 11, 2015

French Masters Dinner

Location: Restaurant Stadium at L.A. LIVE's Event Deck
Doors Open 6 p.m. / Dinner Begins 7 p.m. 
Prices: $275-$425

The "French Masters Dinner" features four of today's culinary leaders in French cuisine, hosted by Master of Ceremonies, Billy Harris. The chefs will prepare a five-course dinner for a select group of seated guests, along with an elegant pairing of French wine.

Featured chefs include:

• Ludo Lefebvre (Trois Mec, Los Angeles)
• Inaki Aizpitarte (Le Chateaubriand, Paris)
• David Toutain (Restaurant David Toutain, Paris)
• Sven Chartier (Saturne, Paris)

Thursday, March 12, 2015

American Masters Dinner

Location: Restaurant Stadium at L.A. LIVE's Event Deck
Doors Open 6 p.m. / Dinner Begins 7 p.m.

Friday, March 13, 2015

Cuisine for the Cure

Location: Restaurant Stadium at L.A. LIVE's Event Deck
Doors Open 11:30 a.m. / Lunch Begins 12 p.m.

British Masters Dinner

Location: Restaurant Stadium at L.A. LIVE's Event Deck
Doors Open 6 p.m. / Dinner Begins 7 p.m.

Saturday, March 14, 2015

Kitchen Kids

Location: Restaurant Stadium at L.A. LIVE's Event Deck
Doors Open 10 a.m. / Event Begins 10:30 a.m.

Grill and Chill

Location: Chefs' Tasting Arena
Doors Open 7 p.m.- 10 p.m. 
Prices: $125-$225 – Special Price "France in LA" $100

The "Grill and Chill" event celebrates the pleasures and spectacle of cooking over an open flame in the Chefs' Tasting Arena, bringing the outdoor grilling experience to guests for a curated tasting tour of dishes from a diverse group of chefs. In addition our 'Chilling' Chefs will serve a delicious variety of cold dishes – from salads to desserts to pastries.

Featured chefs include:

• Michael Cimarusti (Providence, LA)
• Nancy Silverton (Mozza, Los Angeles)
• Waylynn Lucas (fonuts, Los Angeles)
• Jon Shook & Vinny Dotolo (Animal, Son of a Gun, Los Angeles)
• Jonathan Waxman (Barbuto, New York)
• David Lefevre (MB Post, Manhattan Beach)
• Aarón Sánchez (Paloma, Stamford)
• Wylie Dufresne (wd-50, Alder, New York)
• Suzanne Goin (AOC, Lucques, Tavern, Los Angeles)
• Josiah Citrin (Melisse, Los Angeles)
• Inaki Aizpitarte (Le Chateaubriand, Paris)
• Ludo Lefebvre (Trois Mec, Los Angeles)
• Carolynn Spence (Chateau Marmont, Los Angeles)
• Zoe Nathan (Huckleberry Café & Bakery, Santa Monica)
• Jenn Louis (Lincoln, Portland)
• Sherry Yard (Helms Bakery, Spago)
• Mark Hix (Hix, London)

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Champagne - The Bubbles... And Over The Rainbow

Rainbows are visions

They're only illusions

Rainbows have nothing to hide …

From, The Rainbow Connection

Beyond Bubbles : The Essence of Champagne

by Paige Donner

I have never seen so many rainbows as I see when I'm in Champagne. Not even in Hawai'i, that tropical paradise, do rainbows make such frequent appearance.

When the heavens open up like that, displaying this seemingly magical burst of color in the otherwise cold, and very often gray, Champenois landscape, it inspires contemplation.

A rainbow over the Champagne vineyards of Avenay. As seen from the train window during harvest 2014.     Photo copyright Paige Donner.

So with my frequent sightings of these Champagne rainbows – even, often, double rainbows - my mind has delved into the question, what correlation exists between the magic of rainbows, a phenomenon inspired and derived solely from nature, and champagne ?

The locals, the Champenois, recount the tale of the "discovery" of champagne as "a happy accident." Many of us wine aficionados, lovers and champagne connoisseurs are only too familiar with the legend of the tinkering monk of Hautvillers' ancient abbey and how a secondary fermentation of a batch of wine that otherwise would have been termed "bad" or "off" and thrown out, in fact became what is now the world-famous luxury wine product known as champagne.

Does it take a spiritual, singularly visionary person, like a contemplative monk, to perceive the wonder and magic in nature, yes, in God's ways ? And hence the extraordinary potential and wealth of abundance that "happy accidents" often yield ?

That rhetorical question is one for each individual to answer for themselves.

What is of historical record is that a monk inspired the wholesale production method of a wine that had previously, for centuries, dating back at least to King Henry IV's, Henri-Quatre's, time, been a still wine. And with that recognition, he cleared the path for his kinsmen to find that "pot of gold" on the other side of the Champagne rainbow.

Champagne is today the richest viticultural region on Earth and one where the vines are held by thousands of small growers. Nature's "happy accident," and a monk's wisdom to recognize it, now sustains a multi-billion dollar industry whereby thousands of agricultural families enjoy a decent, even above average, standard of living, just by the grace of the yield from God's good Earth. There is no other viticultural region that similarly compares to this abundant socio-economic structure.

As a wine writer, I am tempted here to go into the intricacies of Champagne's chalky terroir, the crayères that date back to Roman times, the Kimmeridgean soil, the ancient lake bed with its fossilized shells that lends itself to this extraordinary viticultural zone, one that uniquely yields the distinctive chardonnay, pinot noir and meunier musts that go into the blending of a fine champagne.

But before all of this, before the whole cult of a wine-with-bubbles was created, spawning tomes of reviews, critiques, analyses and studies, it took one person's penetrating vision and recognition that champagne is not simply a unique wine among the other fabulous French wines, but worthy of value and honor. Vision is all about the ability to perceive. Before any of this mattered, the soils, the cellars, the méthode champenois, it took one person to recognize its potential value. A rose by any other name is still a rose, but there still must be that first who recognizes its valeur. I wonder, who was the first to call champagne the "King of wines?"

Like rainbows, the bubbles in a glass of champagne are ethereal, effervescent, sparkling with nature's magic. They are each – rainbows and bubbles in a bottle of champagne - a natural phenomenon to be enjoyed. They are to be appreciated with the respect that as a product of nature they are a gift, a gift whose pleasure it is to be enjoyed. And like a rainbow, the bubbles in a glass of champagne defy possession, for like love, rainbows and the bubbles in this wine made from Champagne grapes, they cannot be sequestered in one's hand, for only the release of their fleeting essence for precious few scintillating moments, allow these extraordinary occurrences of nature the expression of what they uniquely are.

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Valentine's Day Incites Passion For...Chocolate!

by Paige Donner

This Valentine's Day why not indulge in a bit of self-love?  Yes, I mean CHOCOLATE!

The good thing about eating chocolate is that it's actually included in the grouping of Nature's Super Foods. 

Gotta love nature! 

If you happen to be in Paris, you can pick up some fancy sweet chocolate treats at the most gourmet of gourmet shops that Parisians like to keep all to themselves: Méert.

These photo below are just a couple of examples of what you can find there. 

Méert Valentine's Day Gift Box - Chocolate!

Méert Valentine's Day Gift Box - Chocolate!

This sweet treat is the specialty on offer at the picturesque, lovely, and very traditional Café de la Paix, just in the shadows of the Palais Garnier, the Opéra de Paris. 

©T.CARON- Café de la Paix Saint Valentin

And if you read French (or use an online translate app)  and want to try out a fabulous recipe for making your own holiday chocolate bonbons full of taste and passion, this comes courtesy of Le Cordon Bleu, the wonderful cooking school in Paris that once welcomed even Julia Child. 

Happy Valentine's Day - photo courtesy Le Cordon Bleu

La Saint-Valentin approche ! Voici une bonne occasion de préparer soi-même ses chocolats pour les offrir à l'être aimé et de tester la technique du tempérage du chocolat, clé de la réussite de vos bonbons.

Pour 40 bonbons Dans cette recette : chocolat de couverture 70 % beurre de cacao coloré pulpe de fruit de la Passion poudre d'or alimentaire Trimoline®

Ingrédients

Caramel passion 50 ml d'eau 90 g de sucre 15 g de Trimoline® (sucre inverti) 30 g de beurre 45 ml de crème liquide 50 g de sucre 30 g de pulpe de fruit de la Passion Moules et enrobage 20 g de beurre de cacao coloré (facultatif) poudre d'or alimentaire 400 g de chocolat de couverture 70 % Note: 2 moules à chocolat en polycarbonate de 20 empreintes

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Episode 2 GOODfood+wine aka Paris GOODfood+wine Airs February 15th

Episode 2 GOODfood+wine aka Paris GOODfood+wine Airs February 15th 2015

by Paige Donner

If you read French and keep on top of French culinary news, you may already have bookmarked several of these articles that buzzed around the social media waves these past weeks, namely how France is mounting a campaign of Gastro-Diplomacy. 

Well, we here at GOODfood+wine (aka Paris GOODfood+wine) applaud these efforts. In fact, I wholeheartedly embrace the synergy of the first episode airing the very same month that the French government officially launched the spearheading of their formal worldwide communications campaign about the abiding merits of French cuisine.

EPISODE 2 AIRING ON WRP Sunday, February 15th, 2015

The second episode of Paris GOODfood+wine (aka GOODfood+wine) airs this Sunday on World Radio Paris.  If you live outside Paris and don't get the station on your radio dial,not to worry. You can catch the episode on replay, along with Episode 1 as well, at WRP/ListenAgain.

Chef Yannick Alléno Paris/ Pavillon Ledoyen 3 Etoiles Michelin/ Février 2015

By the way, Chef Yannick Alléno is the Paris chef who was just awarded a third Michelin star for the restaurant he bought last year, Pavillon Ledoyen. You will hear more about it, plus an interview I did with him about his love of wine, in this episode, Episode 2 of Paris GOODfood+wine. 

EPISODE 2 - The show lineup:

In this Episode of Paris GOOD food+wine, we'll be hearing from Alec Lobrano, our featured guest restaurant reviewer and author of Hungry for Paris. He'll give us the scoop about Chef Yannick Alleno's re-envisioned Pavillon Ledoyen. The Pavillon Ledoyen is an iconic Parisian restaurant that this supertstar chef recently installed himself in as Executive Chef and owner.

Next you'll hear an interview I did with Chef Alléno himself about his love of wine and his winemaking collaboration with Côtes du Rhône organic wine champion, Michel Chapoutier.

Frédéric Lalos, Master Baker

Then you'll get to hear an interview our contributor and pâtisserie specialist, Gabrielle Mondesire, did with Frédéric Lalos, a baker whose praises are sung throughout Paris and even throughout France.

Krug Sounds

Lastly, if music be the food of love, then Krug has a corner on it. At least that's the sense you get when you listen to Krug's President, Margareth Henriquez, who explains to us why men prefer tannins and women tend to naturally take to the sing-song of champagne.

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I Love Lemons, Frozen Too

Reblogged by Paige Donner

I have a major lemon addiction. I confess. And it's not just during detox time, after the holidays. It's a year-round thing. Lemonade in the summer, hot water, lemon and honey in the winter. So what joy to find that, like the bouillon craze sweeping East Coast USA, there is a parallel frozen-grated-lemon craze for us who like the lemon-y appeal of things.

Lemon Health!

What's the major advantage of using the whole lemon other

than preventing waste and adding new taste to your dishes?

 lemon peels contain as much as 5 to 10 times

more vitamins than the lemon juice itself.

And yes, that's what you've been wasting.

 

from now on, by following this simple procedure of

freezing the whole lemon, then grating it on top of your dishes,

you can consume all of those nutrients and get even healthier. 

  
It's also good that lemon peels are health rejuvenators

in eradicating toxic elements in the body.

  
Place your washed lemon in your freezer. Then grateit on your meal every day. It is a key to make your foods tastierand you get to live healthier and longer! That's the lemon secret!

Better late than never, right? The surprising benefits of lemon! 
Lemon (Citrus) is a miraculous product to kill cancer cells.

It is 10,000 times stronger than chemotherapy. 

 

  
Why do we not know about that? Because there are laboratories

interested in making a synthetic version that will bring them huge profits.
  
You can now help a friend in need by letting him/her know

that lemon juice is beneficial in preventing the disease.

Its taste is pleasant and it does not produce the

horrific effects of chemotherapy. 

 

 

7 Reasons why you must drink warm lemon water every morning
  
How many people will die while this closely guarded secret is

kept, so as not to jeopardize the beneficial

multimillionaires large corporations?

  
As you know, the lemon tree is known for its varieties of lemons and limes. 

  
You can eat the fruit in different ways: you can eat the

pulp, juice press, prepare drinks, sorbets, pastries, etc...

It is credited with many virtues, but the most interesting

is the effect it produces on cysts and tumors.

  
This plant is a proven remedy against cancers of all types.

Some say it is very useful in all variants of cancer..

It is considered also as an anti microbial spectrum against

bacterial infections and fungi, effective against internal

parasites and worms, it regulates blood pressure which is

too high and an antidepressant,

combats stress and nervous disorders.

The source of this information is fascinating: it comes from

one of the largest drug manufacturers in the world, says

that after more than 20 laboratory tests since 1970, the

extracts revealed that It destroys the malignant cells in

12 cancers, including colon, breast, prostate, lung and pancreas...

The compounds of this tree showed 10,000 times better than the product Adriamycin, a drug normally used chemotherapeutic in the world,

slowing the growth of cancer cells. 

 

 

 

And what is even more astonishing: this type of therapy with lemon extract only destroys malignant cancer cells and it does not affect healthy cells.

 

So, give those lemons a good wash, freeze them and grate them. Your whole body will love you for it!

 

* Note This is a reblogged post. I have not verified the veracity of these claims made here.

 

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