Eating in Paris: Ladurée & Angelina

I've heard of people gorging themselves on chocolates, éclairs, napoléons, macarons, and every other conceivable sweet or pastry during trips to Paris.  While I do love sweets, my tastes tend to gravitate towards the savory side, which translates into me not really having too many sweets while in Paris.  In fact, it didn't even cross my mind to visit some of the renowned chocolatiers until I returned to South Florida and was asked by a good friend, "what about the chocolates there?"  Oops!  I'll get there the next time around, I promise.

Despite my preference for fromage over dessert after dinner, I do have a strong affinity for macarons ever since I tried my first one at the first Paul bakery in Aventura (now closed) with an.  That being said, part of my Paris itinerary involved visiting Ladurée, which is credited for having invented the macaron, and is reputed to have some very creative flavors.  Macarons, for the uninitiated, are about as far away from a macaroon (note the two o's) as prosciutto is from spam.  Two light-as-air cookies made from whipped egg whites, sugar, and almond flour are sandwiched between a rich filling of a cream, purée, or jelly.  Ladurée has several locations, but one of the most iconic ones is located on the famed Champs Elysées boulevard.  The Momster and I stopped by for a break in their ornate tea room, but it was closed for restoration, so we got in line behind the 20 or more people waiting to buy boxes of Ladurée's famous macarons in beautifully gilded packaging.  Apart from macarons, Ladurée also specializes in many other types of pastries and chocolates, which all look appealing until you get a glimpse of the main attraction...and then all other confections cease to exist in your mind.

Behind a glass partition, in neat rows that were constantly being replenished, were a variety of at least a dozen macarons no bigger in size than a silver dollar...perhaps even smaller.  Descriptions like violet and cassis, caramel and fleur de sel, and chestnut and pear beckon seasoned gourmands and macaron initiates, alike.  We purchased a box of 8 for 12 Euros to eat while strolling down Le Boulevard des Champs Elysées and were rewarded with perhaps the most exquisite confections I've ever had...except for maybe one.  Naturally, I sampled the three macarons I mentioned above in addition to rose petal, orange blossom, raspberry, pistachio, and grapefruit/vanilla.  The grapefruit and vanilla combination reminded me of why "greatfruit" was my least favorite fruit as a child, and unless you're a particular fan of the bitter flavor of this fruit that I never thought to be "great" (or anything like a grape, for that matter), I'd pass on it...that is, if they offer it again.  The rest of the flavors were nothing short of heavenly, and each flavor evoked new waves of emotions and imagery.  If poetry could be made into pastry it would look like a macaron from Ladurée.

A return visit on a Saturday afternoon to purchase boxes to bring back to Les Etats Unis proved to be too frustrating to attempt with a line out the door and locals shoving past polite groups of Japanese tourists to get inside; it was also three days before Valentine's Day, so that could explain the frenzy.  Nevertheless, Ladurée, at least on the Champs Elysées, should be attempted on a weekday, preferably far from any holiday.

The other sweets place that I visited came highly recommended by Time Out Paris (with which I reconciled), a good friend in South Florida, and another French friend who had lived in Paris for several years.  Additionally, it was just a short walk from Le Musée du Louvre and right across Rue de Rivoli from Le Jardin des Tuileries, making it a convenient place to break between the classical art gallery and the modern art gallery (The Pompidou Center) where we were going to next.  Angelina is the name of the place, and while they do serve déjeuner (lunch), they are most known for their chocolat chaud à l'ancienne (hot chocolate).  French hot chocolate is very much like Spanish hot chocolate, with which I had been more familiar with in Miami.  It's thick - almost like a soup - and can congeal as it cools down. It's also very rich - so much so, in fact, that it's served with a dollop of unsweetened (or lightly sweetened) whipped cream to cut the richness.  Angelina's version is notoriously rich, thick, and dark and is known as chocolat chaud l'africain.  I needed to try this!

Along with the African hot chocolate, I ordered two of Angelina's signature pastries, the Mont Blanc.  The waiter kind of smirked as he took the order and, hearing The Momster speak in English, mentioned "after Mont Blanc, no more hunger!"  He was right.  I wasn't hungry until about 9:00 PM that evening.  I also had no desire to have anything sweet during the rest of my stay in Paris.  The Mont Blanc was delicious!  The chocolat chaud was superb!  Both of them together?  Bad idea.  A Mont Blanc for each of us?  An even worse idea.  

Angelina's Mont Blanc was definitely one mountain that I could not conquer, and I was forced to leave half of it on the plate (The Momster devoured hers, but then she only had a light dinner that evening).  It consists of a disk of crispy meringue (something familiar to almost every Latin American) topped with sweetened whipped cream and topped with "chestnut vermicelli" which are what American would just call chestnut paste squiggles.  Having eating many Japanese wagashi (sweets) made with sweetened chestnut paste, I can safely say that no chestnut paste is sweeter or as rich as Angelina's.  Apparently, it's quite famous, too, because you can buy it on its own in their boutique.  The Mont Blanc is really an exemplary feat of patisserie and is something to be experienced when visiting Paris.  However, it should be had with a coffee and not with hot chocolate.  This can create a rather stressful predicament for a foodie with only a few days in Paris:  chocolat chaud or Mont Blanc?  Although the Mont Blanc is delicious, Angelina's hot chocolate is truly something not to be missed if you had to choose one thing to have at this iconic salon de thé.  Arriving in a porcelain pitcher with a demitasse of freshly whipped cream, Angelina's chocolat chaud l'africain is a chocoholic's drinkable fantasy - strong chocolate with a velvety mouthfeel that gives you something close to a high as well as an understanding of why this is one of the world's most prized commodities.  If you have to munch on something with your chocolat, I'd have a croissant.  At the sweetest, I'd have a small financier or even a couple of macarons....anything but the Mont Blanc.  In Paris, I've discovered, it's best to pace yourself when it comes to sweets.  Don't do it all at the same time, and definitely not at the same place, for there is just too much to discover for someone with a sweet tooth in the City of Lights.

Ladurée

75 Avenue des Champs Elysées, Paris

http://www.laduree.fr/

Angelina

226 Rue de Rivoli, Paris

http://www.angelina-paris.fr/#/home/

Eating in Paris: Au Pied du Sacré Coeur

After the major disappointment of our first meal in Paris at Le Moulin de La Galette, I was determined to make it up with an exceptional dinner.  I felt betrayed by the Time Out Paris iPod Touch app, so I decided not to trust it that evening.  Instead, I resorted to using a tool with which I have a strange love-hate relationship: Yelp.  I had been an avid Yelper a few years ago while I was unemployed, gaining notoriety as  both a good and controversial critic, and quickly gained Elite status on the website, granting me access to exclusive events and deals.  However, I had quickly taken down my account once I noticed how any idiot could post two-word reviews and gain Elite status while my Elite status was revoked due to my starting controversial threads on the forum (the least popular stated my distaste for South Florida's largest grocery chain, Publix).  One could say I became a little bitter by the experience and boycotted Yelp.  The website has a lot of flaws when viewed through the eyes of a serious foodie, and current rumors that the website actually asks businesses to pay them in order to hide negative reviews discredits the website even further.  However, it is a valuable tool to get a quick layout of the dining landscape in most places in the world, including Paris.  That evening, I was very thankful for having Yelp to steer me towards a fantastic (and affordable) meal close to our hotel.

When using Yelp in Paris, the reviews are divided between English language and French language reviews.  If you can read French or have access to a translator, the French reviews can be very helpful in getting a holistic sense of a restaurant when read along with the English reviews - you get both the tourist and the local perspective.  In the case of our restaurant selection that evening, both tourists and locals posted raving reviews that paid particular attention to the restaurant's low prices.  One French reviewer actually stated that it offered one of the best-priced meals he'd had in Paris.  The name of the restaurant is called Au Pied du Sacré Coeur, which translates to "At the Foot of the Sacred Heart".  Sacré Coeur is, of course, the famous church in Montmartre that overlooks all of Paris, which we had just visited earlier that day.  The ironic thing about this restaurant is that it is literally down a flight of steps from the iconic church, meaning that it was right under our noses while we had trudged through 19 degree weather to a less-than-satisfactory lunch at Le Moulin de La Galette.  This fact makes it an ideal dining destination after a trip to Sacré Coeur...and if it's your first day in Paris, Au Pied du Sacré Coeur will definitely let you know that you've arrived at one of the food capitals of the world!

The menu is traditional French (no East/West fusion or molecular gastronomy here) and seems to change daily. People seemed to rave about their soupe à l'oignon gratinée (French onion soup) for under 5 Euros, which is a mainstay on the menu.  The Momster and I had taken the Yelpers' advice (even the French Yelpeurs), and begun with the soupe à l'oignon, which arrived at our table with a golden-brown and crusty layer of gruyère concealing two rounds of crusty baguette floating in a rich beef and caramelized onion broth.  So far, Au Pied du Sacré Coeur was more than making up for our lousy lunch.

We had, with our food, two glasses of Girondas, a red wine with a spicy note that paired beautifully with our soup and main courses, which were really a revelation of all the good that good food could be.  The Momster had a dish of rabbit haunches stuffed with prunes and diced winter vegetables served with steamed slices of carrots and courgettes (zucchini) and fried wedges of potatoes.  The rabbit meat was tender and pulled apart easily with a fork, while the sweet stuffing complimented the white sauce blanketing the haunches.  The potatoes were a divine epiphany...one that, as a Peruvian, I am ashamed to never have had before:  the potatoes were exploding with flavor on their own, without salt or any condiment.  This was the first time in my life that I had experienced a potato with flavor, and now I understand why my father, mother, and all other Peruvians rave about the 500+ varieties of potatoes native to Peru.  If you're only reference of a potato's flavor is from consuming an Idaho spud or a Yukon Gold from the United States, you need to try a potato anywhere else in the world.  If you already love potatoes, you will adore and worship them!

The potatoes in my entrée, which were boiled, were also delicious and actually tangy - a departure from the sweet flavor of The Momster's fried potatoes.  My tangy boiled potatoes accompanied slices of juicy baked chicken breast stuffed with a blend of chopped dried figs and foie gras under a bed of brown sauce.  This was the other-worldy French cuisine that I had heard and read about - the kind that has inspired many people to take up professions in the food industry.  For a fleeting moment, while closing my eyes in near ecstasy, all memory of Le Moulin de La Galette disappeared.  I can't describe my dish other than stating that it was satisfyingly rich and perfectly balanced.  Each element shone through, and not one overpowered the other.

As if this dining experience could not get any better, that evening I was introduced to perhaps my favorite French dining tradition: ending the meal with cheese.  I love desserts, but very few sweets can win me over, and I usually find myself wanting something savory immediately afterwards.  That evening, The Momster and I shared une assiette de fromages, a plate with an assortment of chef-selected cheeses of that day.  Unfortunately, I did not write down the names, but it did include a Bleu d'Auvergne, as well as several soft cheeses similar to camembert and brie.  Spread on pieces of chewy baguette, I was hard-pressed to think of any sweet that would compare to the pleasure that these cheeses gave me that evening.

The best part of that evening was that our dinner cost us roughly the same as our lunch, and we left markedly more satisfied than we did at lunch.  After having dined at Au Pied du Sacré Coeur, my mood had improved and I was more optimistic about our trip to Paris.  Our walk back to our hotel was cheerful and full of excitement about the activities in the days to come.  Furthermore, dinner at Au Pied du Sacré Coeur had let me know that I had arrived at one of the capitals - if not the capital - of the gastronomic world.  I was very much looking forward to the next few days!

Au Pied du Sacré Coeur

85, Rue Lamarck

Paris, 18th Arrondissment

01.46.06.15.26

http://aupieddusacrecoeur.free.fr/index.html

Eating in Paris: Le Moulin de La Galette

After 5 years of having taking French lessons, passing the AP exams at the top of my class, and acing advanced French conversation in college, I was finally able to put my French language education to practical use last week in Paris.  It is true about what they say:  Paris is the most beautiful city in the world! I don't think I've ever been anywhere as gorgeous, sensual, and enchanting as Paris, and I felt more at home there than I have in most places.  While I did get to see a few museums and the various landmarks, this trip was about eating, and I wasted no time in sampling some of Paris's finer cuisine on my very first day after a visit to the Sacré Coeur church, which was about a 30 minute walk from our hotel.

One of the wonderful things I discovered about the dining scene in Paris is that almost every restaurant has a formule, or a prix-fixe menu, that varies in what it offers from restaurant to restaurant.  On the lower end there are formules that offer 2 courses (appetizer and entrée, or entrée and dessert), and then there are the more generous ones that offer 3 courses.  Most often,  there is an amuse-bouche that arrives at the table free of charge, which can be very elaborate or as simple as a plate of olives.  The other thing I love about dining in Paris is that the menu prices are all-inclusive of taxes and service, so it can oftentimes (even with exchange rates) come out to less than eating out in The States...for much better food, most of the time.  Diners are expected to give some loose change or a couple of Euros if the service was good.

Using a Time Out Paris app for my iPod touch, which does not require WiFi connection, The Momster and I decided to go to Le Moulin de La Galette for lunch after visiting Sacré Coeur in the Montmartre area of Paris.  Le Moulin was one of the few restaurants recommended by time out in Montmartre, and we were excited to sample our first French meal in Paris.  Located by an old landmark windmill (moulin translates to windmill in French), the location was cute and a little touristy (the guide warned us), and the interiors were well-appointed and elegant, but the cuisine was really lacking....at least what came as part of our formules.  I was so disappointed in the poor quality of the food, especially having such high expectations about dining in Paris, that our lunch left me angry and depressed.  Fortunately, the rest of my eating experiences in Paris more than made up for it, but it did teach me a valuable lesson about Parisian restaurants: just because it's in Paris does not mean it'll be good, and the discerning gourmand should take the time to do his or her research because, just like NYC, you can't expect to walk into any restaurant and have good food.  In other words, Paris has its share of merde restaurants just like any other city.

Our lunchtime formules at Le Moulin de La Galette were priced at 18 Euros per person and included 2 courses each (appetizer + entrée, or entrée + dessert).  We opted for the appetizer (called an entrée in French) and entrée (called a plat) option.  We were first brought an amuse-bouche of mildly tart caper berries marinated with a few cloves of garlic, which really primed the palate along with the couple of kirs that we ordered to toast our trip to Paris.  The kir is one of the quintessential apéritif cocktails of the French beverage repertoire and consists of dry white wine with a splash of crème de cassis, a liqueur made from black currants.  A kir royal consists of the same formula but with champagne in place of the white wine.

Our first courses arrived shortly after we finished the bowl of caper berries.  The Momster ordered a velouté of cauliflower that came with an apple-filled puff pastry.  The velouté was, as its name suggests, simply velvety and warming, which the apple puff pastry offered a nice contrast in both texture and flavor with a buttery crispiness from the crust along with a slight tartness and sweetness from the baked apples.  My first course consisted of sheet of salmon carpaccio served with a mild salmon tartare seasoned with lemon zest and chopped scallions.  Surrounding the plate were dollops of red pepper coulis, a thick concentration of green apple juice, and a viscous sauce made from orange rind.  The combination of the three sauces with the superbly fresh salmon was nice.  While we weren't blown away by our first courses, they did seem to offer a promising start...unfortunately, the finish did not deliver.

Several minutes after completing our entrées, we were brought our plats.  The Momster ordered a braised chicken quarter served with a white sauce and winter vegetables with a side of rice pilaf.  I received a crispy-skinned thick filet of a local fish on a bed of risotto flavored with fish roe with a puree of pumpkin.  You can blame it on my Latin American heritage, but I am hugely picky when it comes to rice and am a firm believer that with so many different starches to choose from, one shouldn't attempt rice if its not going to be absolutely perfect...especially at a nice restaurant.  The Momster's pilaf was akin to something out of a box of Rice-a-roni or Zataran's and was both mushy and undercooked...something I'm still scratching my head over.  My risotto was almost uncooked it was so crunchy, and while I was expecting the lovely little bursts offered by a judicious dollop of fish roe either gently blended into or topping the risotto, what I got was the dissatisfaction of fish roe being beaten and cooked into the rice rendering a flavor akin to that of a cheap can of kippers.  My filet of fish was overcooked to the point feeling like wood pulp in the mouth, which was the same experience The Momster had with her chicken.  I actually left half of the food on my plate and was anxious to get the check.

Strolling around Montmartre after lunch, we ran across Le Café des Deux Moulins, which is where Amélie worked in her namesake film.  Taschen's guide to Paris actually recommends it for its good, honest French brasserie fare, and after our experience at Le Moulin de La Galette, I kind of regretted not having lunch at this landmark restaurant.  Furthermore, speaking to a local later that evening (who stated that Le Moulin was très touristique), I discovered that the restaurant across the street from Le Moulin (which was popping when we passed by) was actually THE place to eat in Montmartre.  Unfortunately, I forgot the name, but I remember where it is.

After such a disappointing lunch, I was on a mission to make it up for dinner, which I managed to do exceptionally well, and which will be described in my next blog post.

Two Indispensable Shortcut Ingredients

While we all have it drilled into our collective culinary psyche that fresh is best when it comes to food, we know that going to great pains to obtain and make absolutely everything fresh and/or from scratch is a feat best left to professional chefs in professional kitchens with professional teams of underlings to do all the grunt work like grating fresh coconut flesh to make fresh coconut milk, or trimming and cooking artichokes to get to the heart just to grind it up for a sauce or dip.  While many home "chefs" try to make as much as possible from scratch and buy the freshest they can get, it can be pretty difficult and time consuming.  I know the last thing I want to do after a long day of work is making fresh coconut milk and pounding away at fresh, made-from-scratch Thai red curry paste.  I want Thai red curry, and I want it in less than an hour...and I don't want to have 3 hours of cleanup time afterwards.

I have made Thai curry paste from scratch before, and it's a fun weekend project that yields flavors that you'll never find in a can of pre-made curry paste.  The coconut milk I have yet to attempt...and I don't see myself attempting that task anytime soon.  When I want a quick Thai coconut milk curry, though, I just reach for a can of curry paste (or the tub I keep in the fridge), add some reconstituted coconut milk and voilà!  With the addition of some sliced chicken and vegetables, I have Thai curry!

Those who know me, know that there are certain things that I like to make from scratch regularly and I prefer to do that than to buy them ready-made at the store.  Yogurt is one of them.  If you get a yogurt maker, it's the easiest thing in the world and will cost you a fraction of what you pay for inferior stuff at the grocery.  Another thing I always do myself are spice blends.  When making South Asian curries, I almost always insist on roasting and grinding my own spices.  There are quite a few things, however, that I take shortcuts on.  For Biryanis, and many Pakistani dishes, I will use pre-packaged seasonings made by Shan.  Unless you worked at Moti Mahal in New Delhi for ten years, you will never get a biryani that tastes as good as one made with Shan masala packets.  I also use jarred ají amarillo and ají panca pastes instead of reconstituting and blending whole chiles for making Peruvian dishes.  I love to use frozen peas to add to dishes, as well as frozen broccoli florets.  Additionally, I keep a pouch of coconut milk powder for making sauces and curries (Thai brands like Chaokoh are packed with fresh coconut flavor and are infinitely better than any canned variety).  Furthermore, although I have a pasta machine and love to make fresh pasta, there are still boxes of dried pasta in our pantry.

There are a few shortcut ingredients that I think are indispensable to the home cook, and they may not be that well-known to many people.  They have saved me a lot of time, and have enabled me to make more elaborate dishes in less time...as well as saving on cleanup time, which is always great.

1. Ginger Paste
• There is nothing like the taste of fresh ginger, although peeling and grating a chunk of ginger root to find that you have to throw half of it out because it was more than what you needed (contrary to what people say, ginger root - once peeled - does not keep well) can be a pain sometimes.  Ginger paste is an essential ingredient for many, if not most, South Asian cooks.  The jars can be found at most Indian groceries and can keep in the refrigerator for months.  Nothing beats the ease of opening a jar and taking out a few spoonfuls to flavor a Korean barbecue marinade or to add into a curry or salad dressing.
2. Garlic Paste
• Better than the convenience of ginger paste, in my opinion, is the convenience of garlic paste.  I have used Indian garlic paste in the paste, but I found that the flavor lacked the pungency of fresh garlic - it had more of the sweetness of roasted garlic, and there flavors of the preservatives were really noticeable.  Why Indian garlic paste is acceptable for making South Asian curries, I've found that Peruvian garlic paste is actually more versatile.  I'd get a jar of this paste, which can be found in most well-stocked supermarkets, and use it for both Indian and other types of cuisines.  There is a bit of salt added as a preservative, but Peruvian garlic paste is the closest you'll get to pressing your own fresh garlic.  The best part is that there are no stinky fingers involved - just scoop out as much of it as you want and put it back in the fridge.  Like the ginger paste, the garlic paste can last in the refrigerator for months.

I've found myself using both of these shortcut ingredients so much that I rarely buy fresh ginger or garlic anymore.  I will admit that they do not replace the flavors and textures of fresh ginger and garlic, but for a quick alternative, they are the next best thing and are perfect for marinades, sauces, stir-fries, and curries.