A Pair of Terrific Paris Restaurants—The New and The Old

Brill with Rhubarb Sauce and Haricots Verts at Auguste

 

Although I’ve been in France’s capital only a few days, I’ve already managed to dine in two exceptionally good restaurants. Both were in Paris’ fashionable 7^th arrondissement, but the ambience and the menus of these two places were worlds apart.

At Auguste, a restaurant that opened a few years ago, the décor was modern with a gorgeous red velvet banquette taking center stage in the main room. The talented chef’s creations were truly original and inventive. My first course, a green asparagus bouillon studded with slices of white asparagus and garnished with a celestial foam, was a definite winner, while my tender fillet of brill topped with rhubarb puree and julienned haricots verts, was just as tempting. For dessert a warm pistachio soufflé was superb distinguished by the exquisite flavor of toasted nuts. A small ramekin of blood orange sorbet made a refreshing garnish.

Salad of Haricots Verts, Artichokes, and Foie Gras at Le Voltaire

A short distance away at Le Voltaire, on the Quai Voltaire, overlooking the Seine, I had another memorable meal, this one composed of French classics. The dining room with its beautiful wood paneling, plush banquettes, and soft lighting was timeless as well. My stellar first course was a salad of extra thin haricots verts and fresh artichoke hearts tossed in a vinaigrette and served with a generous slice of foie gras. My “onglet de veau” was a masterful dish of tender cooked veal morsels paired with fresh apricots accompanied by two creamy purees, one made with potatoes and another with golden-hued squash. A tarte Tatin, France’s popular upside down apple pie, was served with dollops of rich crème fraîche, and practically melted in my mouth.

The tab at each restaurant was on the high side, hovering around 100 euros per person including moderately priced, but good wine. I’d go back to both in a heartbeat, heading to Auguste for innovative fare and to Voltiare for familiar French comforts.

Auguste

54 rue de Bourgogne

Paris VII

01 45 51 61 09

Le Voltaire

27, quai Voltaire

Paris VII

01 42 61 17 49

The Asparagus Season Arrives in the Asparagus Capital

Hadley, Massachusetts, next door to Amherst, where I live, proudly claims to be the Asparagus Capital of the U.S. In late May (a tad earlier this year) this little town has its moment of fame when the farmers bring their crops to the groceries and outdoor markets, and the locals grab bunches and head for their kitchens.

This annual asparagus harvest has been the inspiration for me to create many a new asparagus recipe such as this one for a creamy asparagus soup topped with quickly sautéed bay scallops and sprinkled with chives and golden breadcrumbs. This dish boasts lovely color contrasts with the snowy white shellfish nestled atop the verdant green puree. The textures too are counterpoints, for the smoothness of the pureed potage and the velvety scallops play off the crunch of the toasted breadcrumbs.

Sunday Brunch Arrives this Week!

I can’t believe it! Sunday Brunch, my newest cookbook, is due to arrive in bookstores this coming week on June 6^th. It can also be ordered on Amazon.  Several people--students and friends (who ordered online)-- have written that they have already received their copies.

I’ll be writing more about this book and featuring a special recipe from it in a few days on my June website, but for now let me just say that this is a special collection with beautiful photos that features 50 mouthwatering dishes perfect for weekend brunches. You’ll find recipes for every way to cook eggs—poached, fried, scrambled, and souffléed—as well as tempting griddle fare, including irresistible pancakes and waffles. There’s a chapter devoted to sweet breakfast breads, and others that feature light fruit desserts and brunch libations.

I hope you’ll get a chance to stop by your local bookstore and browse through the pages!

Sunday Brunch

Chronicle Books 2012

$19.95

Quick, Easy, and Succulent Grilled Steaks for the Holiday Weekend!

What could be better than juicy well-cooked steaks to kick off this special holiday! Although this weekend doesn’t mark the official beginning of summer (on June 21^st), it is a time when many cooks pull out grills and barbecue tools, moving their kitchens from indoors to the open air.

Lightly charred, juicy beef sirloins topped with creamy slices of Gorgonzola and a red onion rosemary relish is a recipe from my files that would be perfect to inaugurate the season.

Cupcakes—Perfect for Celebrations!

“All cupcakes are ready to party,” says my friend Elinor Klivans in her popular book, Cupcakes!, but some, she continues, seem just made for celebrations. That’s what I had in mind while working on the recipe for Orange Cupcakes with Creamy White Chocolate Icing.

Tender, moist, and scented with orange and cardamom, these golden little cakes are topped with swirls of snowy white icing made with cream cheese, white chocolate, and butter. There’s a generous accent of orange in the frosting as well to carry out the fresh citrus theme.  

Although I never met a cupcake I didn’t like, these definitely fall into the special occasion category.

Simple Asian Meals – Perfect for Weeknights!

When my friend, Nina Simonds, mentioned a few months ago that she was working on a new book titled Simple Asian Meals, I knew I would rush to get a copy. I’m a big fan of this award-winning journalist and author of ten books, and leading authority on Asian cooking and culture. Nina is also the creator of one of the most interesting blogs I follow. For each post on her Spices of Life video blog, launched in 2007, she includes a short film featuring recipes, interviews with food personalities, and much more.

Simple Asian Meals, her newest book, is filled with enticing recipes that are delicious, healthy, and convenient---perfect for weeknights.

 She has streamlined both contemporary and authentic dishes so that they are easy to prepare, and emphasizes, in useful postscripts to the recipes, the health benefits of many ingredients. Did you know that edamame are believed to lower the risk of heart disease, and that mangoes aid digestion and are also a source of beta-carotene?

For the past few weeks I’ve been cooking from this collection.

Grilled Pork Tenderloin Steaks with Rhubarb Balsamic Sauce

Sometimes a dish is so unusual and so tantalizing, that I find myself thinking about it long after the last bite. That was my experience at Jean Georges’ Nougatine in New York recently. The minute I tasted the hake fillet (a mild white fish similar to cod) served sashimi style, drizzled with a rhubarb/balsamic dressing, I knew it was special.

Made with finely diced uncooked rhubarb, balsamic vinegar, olive oil, and a generous seasoning of freshly ground black pepper, the sauce was simple, but assertive and definitely the secret to the dish. At home, I tried my own version, adding a hint of soy sauce for a salty note. Instead of pairing this rhubarb sauce with raw fish, I opted for grilled pork tenderloin steaks rubbed with crushed rosemary, kosher salt, and pepper.