My husband marvels at how easy it is for us to
entertain when we’re in Paris. The secret lies in following the “cook some, buy
some” philosophy I use here. Take a small dinner that we had for a couple of
friends recently. I cooked a delicious winter vegetable and sausage soup topped
with grated Gruyère, and prepared the vinaigrette dressing for the salad, but I
purchased the rest. That’s right—I made two dishes and bought the other
courses. In Paris there’s a fromagerie
(cheese shop), boucherie (butcher), charcuterie (deli), boulangerie (bakery) and patisserie
within walking distance in every quartier.
For appetizers, I set out bowls of Provençal
olives, pistachios, and French radishes that were spread with sweet butter and
then dipped in sea salt. The glorious main course soup came next accompanied by
garnishes of grated cheese, parsley, and a warm crusty baguette. A salad
assembled with purchased greens and sliced mushrooms (both cleaned and ready)
plus a couple of delectable cheeses followed. Dessert came from a near-by patisserie. Voilà! There was my “make a
little, buy a little” menu.
The French potage (based on a recipe for a “soupe du chalet” I had spotted in a
French cookbook) was the star of the night.
