Steak Filet with Roquefort, Mushrooms, and Roast Potatoes

According to a Forbes article written last year, Paris is the best city in the world to eat well.  This immediately got me thinking - is this accurate?  And if this article does prove to have merit, do I agree?

There is an undeniable gastronomic charm in France, and aside from having a great food foundation rife with 400-some odd cheeses and arguably the best bread in the world, I think there are two other factors that contribute to Paris' worldwide allure.  Firstly, a lot of the French people I have met, including my French friends, have an innate appreciation for art and beauty (how could you not in this gorgeous city?).  Secondly, the French absolutely, undeniably, hate to work - I am sure you have all heard about the 35 hour work week.  Put these two factors together and you have the recipe for charming bistrots and cafes, combined with exremely long lunches, that can sometimes last up to four hours. With good ingredients, an eye for a good ambience, and the desire to dine as long as possible, it is true that Paris has a leg up on other major cities.

I have to admit, I personally have a love/hate relationship with Paris.  Aside from the fact that I may not be able to stay here, faute de pouvoir obtenir un visa, I get easily frustrated with the cultural differences that I have not yet adjusted to.  Call me impatient, call me your typical I-don't-care-about-art-I-just-want-to-make-money American, call me what you want, but I can't stand waiting in line and wasting time.  Unfortunately, these dislikes of mine are everyday occurences in France, and which never seem to phase the rookie French people who are waiting next to me.

Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée - French Onion Soup

I don't want to complain about being tired, especially since I spent the morning learning how to make, and of course getting to taste, millefeuilles au chocolat with milk chocolate and whipped cream fillings, along with chocolate spoons and chocolate champagne flutes that were equally sinful and delicious.  There are certainly many worse ways to spend a few hours on a Tuesday morning!

But being tired is a chronic problem for me now and one which I am trying to work on.  In fact, I think the reason I'm so tired is because of the internet and my indispensable yet despicable blackberry, which now occupies a permanent parking spot in my mind.  I find that I'm always worrying about emails I've received and people I have made plans with, so much so that I no longer enjoy the beautiful moment that I am living in!  I'm trying to cut down on my phone and internet usage, but the reality is that it's inescapable, and I fear that society as a whole has a concentration and commitment problem (at least I hope it's not just me, but given that you may be very well reading this while at work or while in the middle of doing entirely something else, I don't think my conclusion is too far from the truth).  We are lucky enough to be living in a day and age where information is easily accessible via the internet, but this gift can so easily become a curse.  What did I do today?  Sometimes I can't tell you, because my mind was in 500 places at once that I don't know if I really did much at all.

Part of the reason why I love to cook is because it is a time for me to put the phone down and the computer away, and focus on something hands-on and creative.  My hope with this blog is to inspire you to do the same, preferably with this soup! 

The origins of this French bistrot staple are disputed, but most françqis will attribute it to Louis XV, explaining that the king would come home in the middle of the night after hunting, only to find onions, champagne, and butter to cook with, thus inventing the base of this soup.  However, it has since then taken on a more elaborate and delicious manifestation, including toasted baguette slices topped with melted Emmental or Gruyere cheese.

I was really surprised by how easy it is to make; the hardest part is peeling and slicing the onions; otherwise it is all ingredients that go right from the pantry to the pan!  If you don't like crying while cutting onions, which is tout-a-fait normal, I learned a nice trick (aside, of course, from wearing swim goggles) - keep a piece of bread in your mouth while chopping, as the bread will absorb the sulfur emitted by the onions.  Not exactly the most attractive option, but it beats shedding a few tears against your will.

So please take the time to make this soup, or anything else for that matter, and give yourself a break from the fast-paced world we find ourselves in today.

Soupe à l'Oignon Gratinée - French Onion Soup - for 1


1 tablespoon butter or olive oil
2 small or 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme
1 tablespoon flour
1/4-cup (6 cl) dry white wine
1 cup beef broth, or half of a bouillon cube dissolved in 1 cup water
3 bread slices, preferably from a French baguette
3-4 tablespoons grated Swiss cheese, such as Emmental

Preheat the broiler.

1.  Melt the butter or oil in a saucepan or a small pot over medium heat.

2.  Add the onion and thyme with a small pinch of salt (don't forget the beef broth will add salt as well), and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until onions are softened and translucent, about 15 minutes.

3.  Meanwhile, toast your baguette slices until dried out and hard.

4..  Stir the flour into the onions, and cook 1 minute.

5. Add the white wine, and cook until reduced, about 2 minutes.

6. Add the stock, and simmer for about 10 minutes.  Taste to adjust seasoning as necessary with salt and pepper.

7.  Place the soup in an oven-proof bowl, top with baguette slices, and sprinlke with cheese.  Broil until cheese is melted and golden, about 2 minutes.

Boooooon appétit!

Herbed Baby Shrimp with Easy Pumpkin Puree

Gently sauteed pumpkin pairs well with fresh herbs and crunchy baby shrimp.

Well, it's certainly been a while since my last post!  I won't deny that I was slightly discouraged; six months and 85 recipes later, I had gotten almost no feedback from readers, and therefore decided to throw in the towel.  I was ecstatic, however, to find emails the other day from a few readers who had made and enjoyed some of these recipes.  I am so thrilled to learn that the posts on this site make their way into other peoples homes and help to provide a good meal.

So, thank you to the readers (hopefully you know who you are) who gave me some feedback and the confidence to continue writing and posting recipes.  I hope I haven't lost you after a 7-month hiatus!

Now on to the recipe of the day:  firstly I would just like to say that it is extremely cold in Paris right now, and while some people really enjoy snow, I am not one of them.  But of course I try to make the best of it, and indulge in the little pleasures that cold weather provides.  A big winter treat for me is making soups and purees, often with vegetables like pumpkin, celery root, leeks, potatoes, and broccoli.  The recipe today features slowly sauteed pumpkin, which after about 30 minutes over heat develops a delicious sweetness that goes so well with its natural, nutty flavor.  Pumpkin in this recipe is particularly easy to use because there is no electric mixer involved - the trick is to get the pumpkin so soft that you can easily mash it with a fork.

A note of advice: I am not sure where you live or how pumpkin is sold in your area.  In Paris, it is often sold in wedges, so that people don't have to go home with a giant pumpkin and a lack of imagination for what to do with it all.  Hopefully you can find pumpkin sold this way, otherwise you should be able to find pumpkin that has already been peeled and cubed (not as much flavor in these pre-cut pumpkins, but we'll take what we can get, right?)

A second note: I'm adding this paragraph after having already published this post, but a reader wrote to me yesterday asking if he could substitute banana squash for the pumpkin, as he can't easily find pumpkin wedges where he lives.  I am glad he reminded me because I wanted to mention this before: if you can't find pumpkin wedges, than I would of course suggest using any other vegetable in the squash and pumpkin family.  Pumpkin develops a natural sweet flavor as it cooks, so if you find that other vegetables, such as butternut or curry red squash, don't achieve this, you can add a tablespoon or so of brown sugar and that should do the trick.

Lastly, if you can only get large wedges, I would recommend sauteeing all of the vegetable, because you can save the remainder and eat it as a snack or with sauteed or steamed chicken breast or white fish another night.  I've written more than I would like about pumpkin and its usage, but I hope you have found this information useful!

Enjoy this recipe and your weekend, wishing you a happy December from snowy Paris.

Herbed Baby Shrimp with Easy Pumpkin Puree - serves one

1 tablespoon sunflower, grapeseed, or canola oil
350 g/ 10-12 ounces fresh pumpkin, outer layer well peeled and cut into rough cubes
salt to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
1 tablespoon olive oil
110 g/ 3.5 ounces baby shrimp
1 tablespoon freshly grated parmesan (optional)

1.  Heat the sunflower oil in a medium or large saute pan over medium-high heat.
2.  Add the pumpkin and a pinch of salt.  Stir the pumpkin to toss with the oil, reduce the heat to medium-low, and continue cooking until the pumpkin is very tender, about 30-35 minutes.  If after 20 minutes you find that the pumpkin is not softening, cover the pan with a lid for 10 minutes or more to allow the pumpkin cubes to steam.
3.  Once very tender, place pumpkin in a bowl and mash with a fork.  Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper to taste.
4. In a different bowl, combine the parsley and olive oil.  Add the shrimp and toss to combine. 
5.  Heat a small fryng pan over medium-high heat, and cook the shrimp until done, about 2-3 minutes.
6.  Place the pumpkin in a dish or bowl, and top with srhimp.  Sprinkle with grated parmesan if desired.

Saffron Fish with Dill-and-Fava-Bean Rice

I'd like to start this post with a picture which sums up why I love Paris, despite this past cold winter, its frequent and unexpected strikes, natural disasters such as volcanos, and overall delay in getting anything processed or registered, ever.  There's clearly something about Paris which is breathtaking and worth seeing; it's not for nothing that it's one of the most visited cities in the world, and springtime is a particularly easy and pleasurable season to enjoy it. The picture above is one I took as I was exiting the metro; I added the border for kicks and giggles. I guess a photo such as this one explains what makes Paris so special to me; even something so banal as leaving a metro station becomes pleasant when you walk out to a sight like this.

Now let's move on to the dinner I made for myself tonight, a dish which I grew up eating relatively often, and which I highly recommend for you my dear reader.  It's at once healthy, hearty, salty, herby, and tangy with a refreshing lemon flavor that encases the fish filet.  Basmati rice is something I fear is under-appreciated around the world; I care very much about this fact, so much so that I am writing my master's thesis on the reason why, in addition to Persian cuisine in general, basmati rice has not become more popular (long story short, you can probably guess, most Iranians aren't exactly inclined to shout from the rooftops where they came from, and even less so to divulge in what they're eating at home).  Basmati rice is a long-grain, fragrant white rice which originates from India.  It is a good source of iron, and because of it's medium glycemic index, is a healthy option for diabetics. 

I obviously love this dish for its Proustian effects on me - one spoonful of rice and fish and I'm brought back to childhood memories of sitting around a white marble dinner table with my family, with a heaping pile of steaming basmati rice and some sort of fish or meat accompaniment, often involving saffron, served alongside it.  Nostalgic memories aside, it's an easy dish that takes about 30 minutes to put together, and which is absolutely delicious.  The rice also goes fantastically with smoked whitefish.

Saffron Fish with Dill and Fava Bean Rice - serves 1


for the rice:
1/2-cup basmati rice, rinsed and drained at least once (preferably soaked in water for 2-24 hours, but not necessary)
1 cup fresh or frozen fava beans (if using fresh, shell them)
3-4 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1 teaspoons canola or sunflower oil


for the fish:
1 fish filet, such as whitefish, scrod, sole, mullet, or snapper
1 lemon
1/4-teaspoon ground saffron dissolved in 1 teaspoon warm water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small pinch paprika


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
1.  If using frozen fava beans, cook them in boiling water until just softened, about 6-7 minutes
2.  Prepare the fish: wash and dry the filet, then sprinkle with salt and pepper
3.  Fully line an oven-proof baking dish with foil.  Slice the lemon in half and squeeze the juice into the pan.  Add the saffron-water, olive oil, paprika, and a pinch of salt; stir with a wooden spoon or spatula to combine.  Place the fillet on the dish and marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes, turning the fish over once halfway through.
4.  Prepare the rice: in a small saucepan, add all of the ingredients plus 1 1/4-cup water, a pinch of pepper and a hefty teaspoon of salt, and give it all a gentle stir.  Bring to a boil, then simmer on low heat until rice is softened and highly fragrant, about 30 minutes.
5.  Meanwhile, take fish out of fridge and place in preheated oven; bake until cooked through, 20 minutes.  Place on a plate with the rice, and pour any remaining pan juices over everything. 

Buon appetito miei amici!

Sweet & Sour Eggplant

"Vivez, si m'en croyez, n'attendez à demain:

Cueillez dès aujourd'hui les roses de la vie"

                                                                    ~¨Pierre de Ronsard, Sonnets pour Hélène, 1587

A quote Ronsard wrote to a lover, explaining that we shouldn't wait until tomorrow to pick the beautiful flowers of today - a rather irresistable way to tell a girl that she shouldn't waste another second before being with him.  But of course I appreciate the larger message of living for the beauty of today - when it's put so simply, I feel stupid for not following this advice - why don't we always just enjoy what's great right now, right in front of us? 

I fear that the answer to this simple question will take at least my entire lifetime to answer, if I ever succeed in reaching a conclusion before I die.  I don't understand the art of living, and while I am working hard at creating a satisfying and peaceful lifestyle for myself, I am constantly aggrandazing my problems and anxieties until they eat up any chance of happiness I may have had.  All the books, tapes, movies and lectures I've been exposed to have pointed to the same thing, something which I believe is true but am still unable to fully embrace - in order to sustain any realistic possibility of a content life, we need to let go of everything.  Just avoid the past and the future, which are entirely out of our hands, and be content with the simple pleasure of the present.

As hard as I try to live in this time frame referred to as the right now, I rarely succeed, because my mind immediately races in about 20 different directions - should I check my cell phone for that life-changing email I know I won't be receiving, or what about that comment someone made to me this morning, what did he really mean by it?  Why does it even matter what he did mean by it? While none of these actions or thoughts matter on any conscious or subconscious level, I am utterly unable to resist allowing them into my mental state of mind, and thereby affecting my tension and anxiety level.  If one day I can control my thoughts to be geared almost uniquely toward this present moment, all with a smile on my face, I think I will have achieved enough for a lifetime - I won't need much else to feel like a human at its basest level.

So that's where I am in my life right now, and for some reason I need to share it.  I made this eggplant dish which I like because sometimes I don't know how to eat eggplant (aside from my two favorite eggplant dishes, caponata and caviar d'aubergines - yummmm).  Please make it.  And if you do make it, PLEASE make a comment.  Even if you're just reading this, make a comment! what do you think? Do you think it looks good, bad, appetizing, ugly?  I won't be offended, and I'll appreciate your opinion, whoever you are, so please keep that in mind.

Bon appétit, bonsoir, beaux rêves.  La vie n'est qu'un aigre-doux, n'est-ce pas?

Sweet & Sour Eggplant- Serves 1


1 small eggplant
2 tbsp lemon juice
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp fresh ground ginger
pinch cayenne pepper
1 tbsp sugar
pinch cinnamon
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 tbsp plain yogurt (greek-style preferably)
1 handful sliced basil leaves


1.Wash and dry the eggplant.  Thinly slice it cross-wise and place slices in a colander. Sprinkle heavily with salt, place over the sink, and let sit for 20-30 minutes.  Dry slices with a paper towel, and roughly chop into 1-inch pieces.
2.Meanwhile,  mix remaining ingredients except the garlic in a small bowl.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper, taste, and adjust sauce according to your taste, adding more of whichever ingredient you choose.
3. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat; add chopped garlic, and sautée until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4.Add eggplant chunks, and sautée until browned evenly, approx 6-7 minutes.
5.Reduce heat to medium-low, pour sauce over eggplant, and sautée to combine. Cook until sauce has been well saturated and thickened, about 5 minutes.
6. Put on a serving plate, top with yogurt, and sliced basil. Voilà