Drouant

Address: 16-18 Place Gaillon, 75002 Paris
Nearest transport: L'Opera
Telephone: 01 42 65 15 16
Website: www.drouant.com

Rating Standards: 5-Stars = Extraordinary; 4-Stars = Excellent; 3-Stars = Average; 2-Stars = Fair; 1-Star = Poor
€ = Inexpensive: 30€ and under; €€ = Moderate: 31€-49€; €€€ = Expensive: €50 -75; $$$$ = Very Expensive: more than €76 (prices based on plats--main course)
1-Bell = Pleasantly quiet (less than 65 decibels); 2-Bells = Can talk easily (65-70); 3-Bells = Talking normally gets difficult (70-75); 4-Bells = Can talk only in raised voices (75-80); BOMB = Too noisy for normal conversation (80+)

  2.5 - Stars.............................................€€ (prix fixe menu)............................................1 - Bell

We went for a late lunch at Drouant. Prior to going, I read several reviews, and it’s pretty much all over the map.  With an open mind, I went and joined my regular foodie companions, Just Jack, Marie, Loui, and our new friend Wendy.

The restaurant has a lot of greenery on the outside and looks quite lovely. As you step in, the first thing that came to mind, it’s not very French.  It seemed more American than anything else, with its spacious rooms and very large individual tables.  In fact, it’s a little more upscale than our usual go to places for lunch.  I felt somewhat under-dressed, oh well.  The maitre’d immediately asked to take my jacket and seated me promptly.

Interior of Drouant

My accent must’ve been pretty bad, because they gave me an English/French menu.  They have a prefix menu for 44€. I was taking a photo of the menu, and our waitperson said I could keep it, how nice, but she told the others, jokingly I was the only one who could keep the menu. Flattery will get you everywhere.  No expenses were spared for the written menu. Very glossy and elegant looking. Almost like a fancy wedding invitation.

Glossy 3-part menu in English or French

They also have daily specials. And, being Monday, the special was a venison stew with celery puree.  For the pre-fix lunch menu, you could have the following:  for the entrée you could select a salad with bacon and eggs, or a consommé de canard. For the plat, you could order a canard poêlé, a rôti au jambon, or a veau.  And, for dessert you have a choice of a chocolat et praliné or a galette de rois, after all it is January…

We all opted to go a la carte.   

Langoustine bisque

Marie had the langoustine soup. I tasted it and loved it. It wasn’t as creamy as I anticipated nor as thick as most bisque are; the consistency for me was perfect and it had a nice strong langoustine taste. I could immediately tell that they used the whole langoustine to flavor the broth, because I distinctly tasted the “mustard” or as we say in the U.S. "tomalley."

  

Beet Salad

Jack had the beet salad, and he loved it, stating it was very, very good.  Wendy and I shared the “4-corners of the world” entrée, which consisted of lacquered shrimp with raita, falafel with sesame, steamed John dory, and a buffalo mozzarella with pesto and grilled pistachios.  It was a really nice combination of different flavors.  Net-net the entrées were good.

We had a bottle of "Chateau Ame de Musset--2007" at 58€, which the whole group loved. 

Goose

Now here’s where it gets interesting. Marie had the goose accompanied with a sausage. I tasted the goose and sausage. I liked the sausage, it was moist and tasty; however, someone forgot the  "braising 101" rule. Braising meat too long can turn meats into very dry and sometimes "stringy" meat.  It seems almost contradictory, since one would think that braising or boiling meats for long periods would soften and keep meats moist. On the contrary, braised or boiled meats should also be looked after, and once it's just tender, it should be removed. There comes a time when the meat reaches a "no point of return"; too dry and/or stringy. Unfortunately, the goose in this case was both dry and stringy.

Venison Stew

Loui had the venison stew. At first glance, it did not look appealing to me at all. I had a little taste of it.  I personally did not like this dish.  It was stewed so long that the wine actually became bitter and perhaps the wine used was a strong "oak" flavored wine which intensified its bitterness.  The meat was very dry and stringy as well. 

Melange of meats

Jack had originally ordered the blood sausage with a saddle of hare, but they did not have it.  So, instead he got a mélange of different grilled meats.  Jack felt it was just indescribable and just OK, nothing special and almost dull in taste and presentation.

 

Scallops

Wendy got the scallops. She felt the scallops were great!

Pork Belly

I had the crunchy pork belly.  The large piece of pork belly was accompanied with filets of pork, which were actually quite good and delicious.  However, the large piece of pork belly which included the skin and a little bit of the fat was not as crispy as I would’ve liked and the fat was not as creamy as it could’ve been.  It should have been braised longer with maybe a little crisping of the skin under a salamander/broiler, or even fried. 

We all got a side of different vegetable casseroles accompanying our dishes.  A carrot and cabbage dish, braised endive, pureed squash and pureed turnips. And, later they gave us a fifth, which was a buttered creamy spinach which I enjoyed a lot. But I'm a sucker for anything spinach.

Accompanying side dishes

 

The portions were quite large, so we opted to forego dessert, and had coffee instead. But to our pleasant surprise, they gave us a few chocolate truffles with a confit of sliced orange.

In summary, it’s not a typical Parisian restaurant, and could literally be any place in the world.  And, that includes the food as well.  The service is excellent, from the maitre'd to the wait staff as well as the bus-people.  The entrées were hits; however, most of our plats were questionable. Personally, I was not boiled over by the food, it was just uninspiring, and just OK. , I was really surprised that the "braised" dishes were executed so poorly. As Loui stated, “I didn’t hate it, but I didn’t love it either.” However, at those prices I expected more.

The bill for 5 of us came to almost €300 which included 2 glasses of white wine and a bottle of red wine.

Would I go back? probably not. However, if you do go, Marie recommends trying the special order items such as the steak au poivre.

Garnier -- Restaurant Review

Garnier

Address: 111, rue Saint-Lazare, 75008 Paris
Nearest transport: Saint-Lazare Metro/RER
Telephone: 01 43 87 50 40

Rating Standards: 5-Stars = Extraordinary; 4-Stars = Excellent; 3-Stars = Average; 2-Stars = Fair; 1-Star = Poor
€ = Inexpensive: 30€ and under; €€ = Moderate: 31€-49€; €€€ = Expensive: €50 -75; $$$$ = Very Expensive: more than €76 (prices based on plats--main course)
1-Bell = Pleasantly quiet (less than 65 decibels); 2-Bells = Can talk easily (65-70); 3-Bells = Talking normally gets difficult (70-75); 4-Bells = Can talk only in raised voices (75-80); BOMB = Too noisy for normal conversation (80+)

  3.5 - Stars.............................................€€ (prix fixe menu)............................................1 - Bell

Garnier is literally across the street from the St. Lazare train station, which makes it easily accessible.

Oyster Bar

The front of the restaurant had a clear view of their “oyster bar.”  Oysters are extremely popular in November and during the holidays, after all December ends in “R”, which means oysters are ripe for the picking.  You can actually eat oysters any time of the year, but the best times are in the months ending in “R” primarily because European oyster spawn in the summer months and do not taste as good during that season. (see "Why buy oysters in 'R'?")

As we waited outside I watched the staff prepare the oysters being delivered to the customers.  Very clean, well organized and professional. It is a large 2-story corner restaurant. As we went in, I noticed that the restaurant had mirrors strategically placed throughout the restaurant giving it the perception that it was really much larger than it really is. It also helped bring light into the restaurant on an otherwise gloomy day. And, as you walked in you will see a fish tank filled with live lobsters for the picking.

We met John and Collette upstairs next to the window. We had a great table.  The place is very Parisian, but at the same time had a feel of a little more sophistication than the regular bistros/restaurants that I’m accustomed to, probably because of the size, and you don’t want to be looking at all their mirrors without being a little “cleaned-up.”

As we perused the menu, Jack and I decided to have the Menu at 39.50€ for 3-courses, a glass of wine and coffee, a very reasonable price for what you get.  This prix fixe menu gave you 4-choices for an entrée, 4-choices for a plat and 2-choices for desserts. This also came with a glass of wine as well as coffee.

Prix-fixe menu

On the table there was a little cup filled with spicy tuna.  At first it was suggested that it might have cayenne, I thought it was something different, but couldn’t put my finger on it, so we asked the waiter, and it was "espelette", which gave it that little kick. We all liked it.

Collette and John ordered à la carte.  Collette forgoing the entrée, while Jack and John had the shared a platter of creuses de Bretagne n°3 and Utah Beach n°3's – huître (oysters). 

Huîtres

I had ordered the Carpaccio de haddock à l'huile d'olive citronnée.  The carpaccio was very nice, it fact it was salted quite nicely, considering the greens that came with it were not salted at all, so it gave it a nice balance.

Condiments for the Huîtres

John and Jack both enjoyed their oysters, they were accompanied with plain rich butter, herbed butter, and an onion vinaigrette. 

Sole

As you’ve probably pictured by now, this restaurant is known for their seafood.  John ordered the sole.  It was very simple and nicely presented.  In fact, I commented that it was filleted quite nicely. John thought the sole was “terrific”, but was swimming in too much butter. I had a taste of it and it was very delicate and simple. Sometimes, less is more.

Bar

Colette had the bar. My first honest impression, it was plated very sloppy.  They did not do as good a job filleting it as they had done John’s sole.  As you can see from the picture.  It might even look downright unappetizing for the uninitiated.  I would have preferred it served whole than to look that messy.  I tasted a little bit of it, and again, less is more. I did notice Collette salted the bar, which I would have done too, plus added pepper and espellette, which was made available to us.

Dorade

 

Jack first asked the waiter, which would he recommend, the dorade or the sardines?, the waiter recommended the dorade, I of course got curious about the sardines so I ordered that. Jack had the “filet de daurade grillée, carrottes à l'orange”, dorade nicely plated over glazed carrots with no other accompaniments. Jack said it was very good, but lacking in portion size for both the fish and the carrots. I tasted it, and that was probably the one fish I loved the most of the 3 I tasted.

Sardines grillées

 I ordered the “sardines grillées, condiment à l'anchois, caviar d'aubergine.” This dish is not for everyone. Typically, this fish is deep fried which crisps up the bones which can then easily be eaten. Although, the bones can be eatened, it is more difficult to eat when not fried. I like the taste of sardines, and I had no problem de-boning the fish, but a part of me wanted to be able to eat the bones and the heads, which I wouldn’t recommend doing with this preparation.  It was a tasty dish and the accompanying anchovy sauce I loved.  Again the dish is not for everyone, since it is a strong tasting fish.

Aubergine

This is the part of the lunch I found very strange.  Three of us got these small copper pots of e.g., rice and aubergines. First of all, it look extremely unappetizing, secondly I found this presentation strange, as if almost to say, "we can put ugly things in cute copper pans and make it look pretty and get away with it", not!  It was strange. And, my aubergines were not particularly tasty. It was mushy and just not pleasant.

Mousse au chocolat

For the desserts, on the prix fixe menu you had two choices: Mousse au chocolat or Riz au lait comme autrefois, crème angalis et financier.  Collette ordered a warm pear tart.

OK, let’s start with the mousse au chocolat, I have one thing to say, WEIRD, OK, maybe another word to say, WEIRDER!!!  It was the oddest mousse au chocolat I have ever had anywhere in the world. It was like eating fluffy meringue with a hint of cream and maybe, just maybe, a hint of chocolate, if you close your eyes and imagine. Even the color was off. If it had more sugar in it, I would swear it came from a Las Vegas buffet!

Pear Tart

Colette thought her tart was "lacking in flavor", and expensive at 14€. So, looks like the desserts were misses. 

Would we go back? probably. I found there were  a series of hits and misses. The service is excellent, although they forgot to ask whether I wanted a glass of wine that accompanied my meal, but at that point I really didn’t want any more alcohol.  Our bill, with two bottles of great wine  was 232.50€ for 4.

Always fun and an adventure going out to lunch with John, and we had a great time meeting Colette. Can't wait for our next eating adventure.

A la prochaine!

My First Christmas in Paris

Christmas tree made of lights on Champs Elysees

Since moving here in 2008, we have never spent Thanksgiving, Christmas or New Year’s in Paris, preferring to go back to the U.S. to spend them with family and friends. 

In November, as we were readying to leave for our holiday hajj, we decided, since we’d been “flying” so much lately, let’s take it easy this year, and actually see what Christmas in Paris is all about. So, here we are.

I’ve asked friends who are from Paris or who’ve lived here a while about Christmas.  Interestingly, all say that it’s changed, that it’s become more “commercialized” and my American ex-pat friends also say, it’s become more “Americanized.”  

These are my personal impressions of Christmas in Paris: 

Lights along Rue de la Convention

The streets are quite festive. Usually, starting the end of November, each arrondissements (districts), have different festive lights strung high above the streets. I’ve been told that the merchants all chip in and pay for stringing of the lights etc.  Maybe it’s just me, but I found that in the more affluent neighborhoods such as the 16eme, they didn’t have as many lights as in the more residential working class neighborhoods.  None-the-less, they are a beautiful sight to see.

Trees being sold with log stand

Christmas trees start to go on sale in December. They are extremely expensive. My best friend bought one about 7-feet tall for 75€ about $100. Typically they hollow out a log to fit the bottom stump of the tree, and that log is used as a tree stand.  Unfortunately, because of this, the trees dry out faster.  So, you really have to be careful if the tree gets too dry. And, if you are moving here, bring your tree stand with you, as far as I can tell, they do not sell Christmas tree stands.  Also, Christmas ornaments are sold throughout the city, and they are absolutely beautiful. Some can be extremely expensive.

As you walk along the streets you will notice stores decorated as well with festive lights, Christmas trees, all the usual Christmas decoration trappings we have in the U.S. But being a “foodie”, what impressed me even more are all the different "Bûche de Noël" the bakeries have. They have them in all different sizes, and even have individual servings.  And, some are simply works of art.  "Paris by Mouth" has wonderful photos of these pieces of art.

One of many photos from "Paris by Mouth" of a Bûche de Noël

What they do different than the U.S., in Fance they have the "Marché de Noël" the Christmas Markets. They have them throughout the city; however, they’re pretty much all the same. I actually find them boring and uninspiring. They’re usually filled with tacky “tchotkes,” stands selling hot wine drinks and, of course, the proverbial French scarves. 

Marché de Noël, very quaint looking

 

Another thing I noticed, there are American/English Christmas carols playing all over the city, especially in the department stores and malls, and even in the small boutiques. I was told that this is a relatively new development influenced by travels and U.S. movies etc., since the French have a very small collection of Christmas carols, I heard less than 10, whereas English carols there are about 50. I have to admit, it does put you in the holiday spirit.

Interestingly, my best friend and I went out to the mall and I was expecting it to be packed as in the U.S. It was pretty empty by American and even French standards. I was told that the Parisians prefer to buy Christmas gifts of e.g., perfumes etc. in the downtown area like "Galeries Lafayette" or  "Printemps" or smaller boutiques, preferring to buy everything else (e.g., clothes) during one of the 2-annual sales, which is January followed later by July, at which time the malls will be packed.

Galeries Lafayette

Karl Lagerfeld (Printemps)

 

Speaking of the downtown department stores, I have to say, they were quite festive with all the lights, and each department store will have their own window display with special designers, designing each window.  This year Karl Lagerfeld decorated the Printemps windows.  Interesting, to say the least.  And, Galerie Lafayette’s building was displayed with lights all over the building, which they do each year. It was actually quite pretty. It sort of reminded me of Las Vegas, with all the lights. 

And, speaking of lights, I personally do not like the Champs Elysees because I find it too touristy and crowded; however, I made an exception this year and visited it to see the lights. The Champs Elysees had beautiful lights along the boulevard and displays worth seeing, if you can handle crowds and like playing “bumper shoulder” or “chicken” with the cars.  Three new stores opened up this Christmas season on the Champs Elysees: Banana Republic, Abercrombie and Fitch, and Marks and Spencer.  As a result, people were queuing in to get into the stores, which also created pedestrian traffic jams. The streets were so packed; they had to have police to control the traffic as well as the pedestrian sidewalks. It was worth my sore shoulders, but doubt I’ll do it in the future. Once is enough for me.

Champs Elysees

Eerily, Christmas Eve was really quiet in a lot of residential areas of Paris. It appears that many people either left for their country homes, or to their hometowns to spend Christmas with their family. Plus its Christmas break and many have vacation.

Hanukkah this year is December 20-28. In San Francisco where I’m from, they always have a Hanukah lighting ceremony in Union Square.  As I wandered through the city, I did not see many menorahs displayed, except in the old Jewish quarters, "Le Marais".  I had heard last year, they had a huge menorah lighting ceremony at the Eiffel tower, and they also had a free concert. I did not see one this year, but I’m sure they had ceremonies in various parts of the city, I just wasn’t aware of them.

Now onto the Christmas meal. In itself, it was quite an eating marathon.  My best friend Steve hosted a Christmas Eve party. Of course there are some regional differences, but this menu is quite typical:

Appetizers: we had oysters on a half-shell with a vinaigrette dressing. We also had canapés of caviar and salmon atop crème fraiche.  In some households, shellfish such as shrimp or langoustines are also served.  And, of course you have to have champagne.  After this first round of appetizers, then we had foie gras with toasted brioche, and served with a special sweet sauterne.

Oysters on a half shell

 Entrée:  We had “Coquilles St. Jacque” lightly poached in butter, served with a dry white wine e.g., sancere.

Plat: We had Cornish game hens, served on a bed of wild rice and haricot vert. Traditionally, fowl is served, such as capons, goose, and even turkey.

Cornish game hens with wild rice and haricot vert

Our featured wine of the evening

Salad and cheese:  Salad and it can be accompanied by cheeses, or cheeses can be served after the salad. 

Buche de Noël

Dessert:  Of course we had the traditional “Buche de Noel”, and a little bit of Americanawe had a huge selection of cookies baked by Steve.

Then after all is said and done, more champagne followed by a digestif.

My special Parisian family

After all the food and drinks, it was time to head on home. We actually live in walking distance of Steve’s apartment, but I was feeling a bit tipsy, so I took the tram.  FYI,  public transportation runs on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.  Interestingly, the streets and public transport seemed really deserted.  We live next door to a Church, and I noticed as I got closer to home the only people wandering the streets were people leaving Church after midnight mass.  Although France is a predominantly Catholic country, not many attend midnight mass as in the past.

On Christmas day, Steve and Eric took Eric’s Mom on a visit along the Champs Elysee. Surprisingly, he told me some of the stores were actually open.  How Las Vegas is that?

All-in-all, I’m glad we have good friends to spend the Christmas holiday with. The "City of Lights" truly lived up to its name this holiday season, and it has been a great holiday season; the weather has been unseasonably warm.  I heard last year this time, it was cold and snowing!  I guess we brought the California sunshine and weather with us…

À votre santé. Je vous souhaite une Bonne Année! 

Note: In the U.S. if a holiday falls on a Sunday, the following Monday is typically a holiday as well.  Surprisingly in a country that has more holidays and vacations than Imelda Marcos has shoes, banks, post offices, and most stores are open.

Le Sot l'y Laisse -- Restaurant Review...

Address: 70 rue Alexandre Dumas, 75011
Nearest transport: Alexandre Dumas (2)
Hours: Dinner, Monday-Saturday; lunch, Tuesday-Friday; closed Sunday
Reservations: Book a few days in advance
Telephone: 01 40 09 79 20

Rating Standards: 5-Stars = Extraordinary; 4-Stars = Excellent; 3-Stars = Average; 2-Stars = Fair; 1-Star = Poor
€ = Inexpensive: 30€ and under; €€ = Moderate: 31€-49€; €€€ = Expensive: €50 -75; $$$$ = Very Expensive: more than €76 (prices based on plats--main course)
1-Bell = Pleasantly quiet (less than 65 decibels); 2-Bells = Can talk easily (65-70); 3-Bells = Talking normally gets difficult (70-75); 4-Bells = Can talk only in raised voices (75-80); BOMB = Too noisy for normal conversation (80+)

  4 - Stars.............................................€ (pre-fix menu)..............................................2 - Bell

Our friend John of "John Talbott's Paris"  recommended that we try this restaurant in the 11eme.  Our other good friend  Marie Johnston, "The French Market Maven"  joined us as well.  This tiny restaurant with a capacity of maybe 25-seats has gone through several owners in the past couple of years, with Eiji Doihara, a Japanese chef with a classical French resumé holding the current reigns.  It's an extremely simple restaurant, and devoid of almost any decoration, save for the table of bottle wine displayed by the window, and the large billboard where their handwritten menu is hung prominently on one of two large walls. Despite the lack of decor, it's the food we wanted to focus on.

I was expecting French cuisine with a fusion of Japanese flavors, just because. I don't know, maybe wasabe flavored beets or something.  Instead, we got some excellent classical French dishes with incredibly simple and beautiful presentation. The Japanese influences were there, but very subtle.  For one, his Japanese aesthetics were quite evident when it came to his "plating." The balance of colors, textures, and taste was a hit with all of us.  As you will see from some of the photos, they're art onto themselves.

Pre-fix lunch menu

OK, let's start with the menu.  They had a pre-fix lunch: 2-courses for 18€, and 3-courses for 24€. 













We opted not to have the pre-fix lunch and go "a la carte."  Our wait-person, explained to us that ordering from the main menu would take longer.  Hmm, that's a good sign.  In my book anything that takes longer means, maybe they're actually cooking the food, or parts of it versus warming it up and plating.  


After we all made our decisions, two of the items we wanted: Crepinette de pied du porc au vin rouge et foie gras poélé, lentilles vertes (pig's feet), Pigeon ramier d'esossé aux champignons sauvages, sauce au sang (pigeon) were only served for dinner, not for lunch.  We had a discussion how we found it annoying that they don't put a star or asterisks next to the dish to say dinner only, rather then getting our hopes up, but that's the way they do in Paris, oh well. 

Foie gras with balsamic reduction

John and I had the "foie gras poêlé aus figues, réduction de viniagre balsamique" -- Oh my God, not only was it presented beautifully, but was nicely seared on the outside and melt it your mouth tender inside.  He probably was able to accomplish this by slicing the foie gras thin to avoid over and/or undercooking. 

Consommé of oysters and grilled winter vegetables

Jack had the "consommé, aux huîtres chaudes, légumes d'hiver grillés." When I first saw the dish, my first thought was what are those little balls? So, as I tasted it it was like little crackers of some sort.  We asked our wait-person and she said they were "puffed rice." Aha, so here's the Japanese influence, aside from the presentation. The broth was delicious, and the juxtaposition of the different textures came together fabulously. A definite hit. 

Leek terrine

Marie ordered the "terrine de poireaux au vert." Marie loved the dish. It was encased in a gelée to keep it's shape. Again, the presentation was beautiful, we're seeing a trend here. 

Roasted duck breast

For our entrées John and Marie had the "margret de canard rôti aux légumes, croquants de Thiebault, sauce aigre-doux."  John had asked that the duck breast be cooked as the Chef would want it to be eaten, so it was on the rare side. I tasted it, I loved it. It was very juicy. But I am a sucker for anything duck. 

Turbot fish

Jack and I had the "filet de turbot rôti, sauce Noilly Prat, purée de betterave poirée." this to me was the most beautiful dish of all. It had color, texture, and height.  Sounds like I'm talking about interior designing, but I loved the beauty of it.  And, the fish was absolutely mild and perfectly cooked.  The crispy purple potatoes and crispy parsnips brought me back to my childhood when I use to put potato chips in my tuna fish sandwich.  I've come a long way, n'est-ce pas?

Poached persimmons with white wine gelée

And, now for dessert.  The three had the "kaki poché à la gelée de vin blanc, coulis de fruits rouges."  Since I'm trying to cut down on my sugar intake, I had the "assortiment de fromages."  My companions were kind enough to let me taste their desserts.  Oh my God, loved the wine gelée and the poached persimmon was wonderful.  

Comté, chèvre, and brie

The cheese plate had comté, chèvre, and a soft brie.  I forgot to mentioned, we loved the bread that accompanied our meal. And, I especially loved it with the cheese. I swore the bread was from "Poilâne". We asked our wait-person, and she said, no she got it from a bakery in the 11ème.  I did some research and discovered that it was definitely from Poilâne, they have very distinctive breads that cannot be mistaken, but they get it from their neighborhood boulangerie that sell Poilâne bread, voila, my taste-buds have been redeemed!




Summary:  First of all "chapeau" (compliments) to John, excellent choice. If we had ordered from their pre-fix menu our bill would have been much, much less and it really is good deal. However, we went a la carte, so our bill came to almost 66€ for each person which included two bottles of wine, 2-glasses of white wine, and coffee.  it was worth every centime! Definitely go for the food, since decor is lacking.  I would go back in a heartbeat!

Note: The restaurant was filled to capacity, and people were being turned away, so reservations are highly recommended. 

Thanksgiving in Paris...

Our Paris family--Thanksgiving celebration 11/26/11

 Tips and tricks to having a happy, great and successful THANKSGIVING in Paris!!!

Our normal routine is we would leave for the U.S. a week before Thanksgiving and stay there until well after the New Year, so we can visit and spend the holidays with our friends and family.  About 2-months ago, we decided, let’s give Paris a try for the holidays, since we’ve never experienced the holidays here. And, voila, here we are.

Imagine in the 4-years we have lived in Paris, this is the first time we’ve actually been here for the Thanksgiving festivities.  We’ve had early, simple Thanksgiving dinners in Paris before, but they were typically small and intimate, and we usually have them just before we leave for our annual winter “Hajj” to the U.S. for the holidays

In a lot of ways, it’s the same as in the U.S.  Although some ex-pats have Thanksgiving on the actual day (Thursday),  most ex-pats have it either the next day on Friday evening or as for us, on Saturday, which would enable our friends who work, to participate as well, of course, American Thanksgiving is not a holiday in France.  

We all stress out, because we want to make sure we have enough food, and what if we have too many desserts etc., or not enough “greens” etc., etc.,   A lot of out French friends don’t understand why we get all frenzied and worked-up, and I try to explain to them it’s part of the whole process, the excitement, the stress, the anticipation, and then the actual day of catharsis and enjoyment. Surprisingly many more French know the Thanksgiving holiday from movies.  And, they sometimes ask me is the turkey really that large, is it really that big of a festivity, and I respond, yes, to their amazement. I try to explain to them it’s the “biggest” non-denominational holiday where we will travel for miles to spend this one meal with our family and friends. 

My best friend Steve and I pretty much organized the whole Thanksgiving and there were definitely some challenges. What started as a small group of maybe 10-people reached 16.  There was a mix of American ex-pats and French.

Granted, there are several places that serve Thanksgiving dinners, and "Paris by Mouth -- Thanksgiving"  put this excellent list together where to eat; however, Steve and I wanted it to be traditional, in a home with good friends.

 

Let’s start with some of the obstacles we faced, needless-to-say it can be fun and challenging:

Location:

 Most of us in Paris are “room-challenged.”  Most of our apartments are small. So, Steve volunteered to hold the festivities at his apartment; by Parisian standards he has a large living/dining room combination that can easily accommodate 20+-people.  And, more importantly, he has a large kitchen.

Shopping:

Now this is probably the most challenging.

·        Turkey--turkey parts are easily sold in the supermarkets, e.g., thighs//legs. However, whole turkeys are not and must be ordered at a butcher shop or many of the speciality stores, such as "Thanksgiving in Paris Store".   The turkeys are medium sized and one must be careful when ordering, since Parisian apartment ovens tend to be much smaller than our American counterparts. In other words, "measure twice, cook once..." Note: Turkeys are extremely expensive. For a 10-lb turkey it can cost upwards of 70€.

Steve getting ready to put the turkey in the oven

·        Giblet gravy—If you are like me, you have to have giblet gravy. Unfortunately, you don’t always get the giblets, neck or liver from the turkey.  I have come with up a great solution.  Make your gravy as you would normally; however, buy a can or bottle of “confit gésier de canard” It’s the gizzards from the duck that have been cofit’d.  It adds incredible flavor and the gizzards are typically nice and tender.  You can also buy chicken livers in the supermarket, and you can add to that as well.

·        Corn meal—They have the “farine de maïs” (corn flour) at health food stores such as Naturalia; however, it’s not the same, nor is the Italian polenta.  I find that Latin American markets such as “Latino Market 55 Rue Firmin Gillot in the 15^eme carries corn meal, and is exactly what you find in the U.S.

      Appetizers--try to serve cold or room temperature appetizers beforehand, hence, freeing up space in your kitchen and more importantly, freeing up your oven.

Room temperature appetizers

·        Cranberries (canneberges)—this can be challenging to find. Yes you can find them, but they’re typically in very small bags, almost the size of a bag of M&M’s, and quite expensive (4-5€), in places such as Bon Marché, or Monoprix.  Personally, I would recommend that if you have a friend coming in from the US just before Thanksgiving ask them to transport fresh cranberries. They can be stored in a small portable cooler and placed in your check-in baggage. If you don’t care about having fresh cranberries, they do sell canned cranberries at International markets such as Bon Marché or Thanksgiving in Paris store etc.

·        Pumpkin (potiron)—canned pureed pumpkins do not exist; however, fresh pumpkins can easily be found in Paris. You will; however, need to bake them, and mash them to use for your e.g., pumpkin pie.

·        Pecans—for e.g., pecan pie can easily be found in Paris. Try to get them in bulk at the markets.  Pecans and walnuts are extremely expensive. I typically bring costco size bags when I return from the US.  And, as for corn syrup, you can easily find them at the Asian markets in the Korean or Japanese section, and they're usually labeled in English, along with Korean or Japanese.  If you prefer using maple syrup, this is now easily available at any major supermarket.

Our fabulous dessert table

·        Buttermilk—for your biscuits can easily be found at the Arab markets or at the supermarkets in the yoghurt section and labeled under “Lait Ribot” or “Yoplait, lait fermenté”.  Note:  they tend to be much richer than your American counterpart.

·        Sweet potatoes (patates douces)—These too can easily be found at any produce store.  However, the color is a little anemic compared to the American version, but works and tastes great.  If you are going to make sweet potato pie, you’ll need to bake and mash the potatoes as you would regular potatoes.

·        Cream Cheese—This was once very difficult to find. I remember getting cream cheese at Bon Marché at 4€ for 4-ounces.  The American “Philadelphia” cream cheese have been recently introduced to the French market and can be easily found at almost any French supermarket at a cost of 1.50€ for 4-ounces.  Note: if you are making a cheesecake, speculoos cookies found everywhere, makes the perfect crust.

·        Crusts—Although you can find all sorts of store-bought crusts in France, I find them to be a lot tougher than our flaky crusts back home. And, there's no beating homemade crust. With that said, I would suggest for a flakier crust, make it yourself. You can purchase "graisse végétale" a great Crisco substitute which is typically found in the butter section, and in some cases the freezer section of the grocery store.

·        Flour—you can find all purpose flour called, “tout usage” (all usage) at some markets.  If you need flour for specific type of baking see the following:

American Cake & Pastry: Type 45

American  All-Purpose & Bread: Type 55

American High Gluten: Type 65

American Light Whole Wheat: Type 80

American  Whole Wheat: Type 110

American Dark Whole Wheat: Type 150

Cooking:

Cooking in a typical Parisian kitchen can be quite challenging.  First of all the ovens are much, much smaller. And, in some ovens as in Steve’s, the heating element is at the top and bottom of the oven, which is normal operation.  You cannot just have the bottom heating element on. This poses quite a challenge, since the top of the turkey takes up about 90% of the space.  Hence, the top portion of the turkey (e.g., breast) is about 2-inches from the top heating element.  With that said, you will need to tent the turkey with aluminum foil until maybe the last 30-45 minutes of roasting, at which time you can remove it to crisp the skin. Note: temperatures are in centigrade, hence, a typical 325F = 162.8C; 350F = 176.7C; 375F = 190.6C.

Proud daddy posing with his 10-lb baby!

Don’t even think about deep frying a turkey.  With such tight quarters chances of a grease fire are much, much greater.  And, smoking a turkey is also out of the question, since it’s illegal to have BBQ’s or smokers in residential apartments, even if you have a terrace or balcony.

            Tips and Tricks:

• ·        Having 2-ovens is unheard of in Paris, unless you had your apartment remodeled to American standards.  Desserts should be made the day before. And, if you have a small refrigerator try and stay away from anything that needs to be chilled.

• ·        Stuffing, candied yams, spring bean casserole, corn bread, rolls, etc. that need oven time should be made first, because once you have the turkey in the oven, that’s it, you will not have any room for any other food items.  You can always reheat e.g., the casseroles in the microwave.

• ·        Keep mashed potatoes over boiling hot water or a warming plate to keep warm, and put it aside somewhere, which will allow you to use your stove-top to cook or use as a prep station, since many Parisian kitchens have very little counter-space.

• ·        Always, always clean as you go to avoid unnecessary clutter in the kitchen and give you more work space. And, if you have a dishwasher load as you go and immediately wash, and unload for the next following batches.

• ·        Try to limit the number of people in your kitchen, or just yourself if you have a very tiny kitchen.  It can be very dangerous, especially if knifes are flying around.

Food, glorious food!

 Most of the American ex-pats are from different parts of the US.  So, with our regional differences, many brought dishes typical of their family or region.  For example, our good friend Gina made a “corn pudding” a very southern dish which I’ve never had, and it was delicious.  Steve’s family hails originally from Ohio, and he made a fresh cranberry jello pudding, again it was my first time to ever have this, and it too was delicious. Zabie made baked onions stuffed with spinach,  and I made a vegan "Poor Man's Sushi" which hails from Hawaii, and so many other dishes were made which truly made this bountiful meal a diverse and joyous holiday.

Needless to say, we had a most wonderful, wonderful Thanksgiving. Although I miss my family, I don’t regret staying here for the holidays, because of all our wonderful friends who have become our families.

Here's some great entertaining reading:

Art Buchwald on "A Turkey with French Dressing"

                                                  and...

When Continents Collide: The Tribulations of Making (and Serving) Thanksgiving Dinner in Paris by David Jaggard

  (see comments section for extra tips)