Tisane - Infusion

To combat the cold and to bring some inner comfort, I've been brewing lots of infusions lately, in many different variations.

There is no specific recipe, per se - I use what I have on hand.  We tend to have boxes of freshly dried herbs around our apartment - see photo below.   The verbena here is from last summer when it was abundantly available.  You'll find mint, parsley & sage there as well.

If you happen to have fresh herbs on hand, go ahead & use them -  they would even be preferable.  But recently dried herbs are pretty amazing, too.  And by recent, I'm talking about something you've dried yourself within the last 12 months.  I encourage everyone to dry their own herbs if you have access to good quality fresh bouquets (more on drying herbs in another post). 

My favorite infusion lately is this (with the optional honey & lemon juice):

Infusion in the pot:
2-4 dried sage leaves
Small bunch of dried verbena leaves
a dried mint leaf
A small piece of star anise (usually a broken bit;  a whole star is too intense)
Lemon peel (washed, or oranic is better; no pith) - optional if using lemon juice below
Small piece of a cinnamon stick
A couple of cardamom seeds (not the pods, but the black seeds inside)
Half a piece of a dried vanilla bean pod (previously used for its grains)

Extra Add-ons (Optional...but highly recommended!):
1/2 - 1 soup spoon of honey (or to taste)
A small spoonful of lemon juice

What I do:  Place all the dried ingredients into my little black tea pot which I absolutely love.  Add boiling water (medium hot boil, if that makes sense...) and let steep for 6 minutes.  I find 6 minutes is long enough, but frankly the timing depends on how intense you like it.  Logically, more time will give a stronger flavor; less time = less flavor!  As with everything I do, I taste it to see if I like it.  When it's done infusing, I pour it into my 2 mugs that already have honey and lemon juice in it.  Stir to blend.  Enjoy!

This one is simply sage, verbena, mint and star anise pod.

One of my boxes of dried herbs

The infusion with honey & lemon - it gets cloudy like this!  It tastes better than perhaps it looks!  ;)

The infusion "naturelle" - no honey & no lemon, for when you don't want extra sugar intake.

If you don't have these particular ingredients on hand, why not play around with your own ingredients to find the taste you like?  I refrain from putting too much star anise in the mix (even if I do adore it).  What I strive for is to have a little bit of each taste present.  Interestingly enough, I first taste the lemon & honey, and this is followed by all of the other herbs & spices - just delicately so.

This tea pot makes it easy to experiment with different variations - I love it for that and because it  keeps the infusion nice & warm. 

At any rate, this is a great, caffeine-free way to help stay hydrated in the winter...aren't we supposed to drink 1.5 liters of water each day?  Something like that...

:/dma

Happy New Year!

Here in France, it's perfectly acceptable to send New Year wishes throughout the month of January.  I love how it doesn't have to be done before end of the holidays...isn't that obvious?!  So, here's my wishing the world more peace, less hunger, more security, more sanity, higher employment, happiness all around, "stable" weather, less consumption & waste, and greater tolerance. 

Imagine all the people living life in peace
 
...And the world will be as one...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

May this new year nudge us a little closer to "one".   

(I stand by that thought no matter how the new year has started.)

Happy 2013,
:/dma

Favorite Mediterranean Flavors

Take a look at this mezze plate:

From top left (clockwise):  eggplant, chick pea purée, tabouli, white cheese with mint, another scoop of tabouli

I love, love, love these flavors!  Especially when you can mop it up with Lebanese style flat bread.  And yes, that's extra olive oil poured on top...a must!

What's interesting about the eggplant "mash" (that's what I'll call it) is it's texture.  Here in France, a variety of it is made and called "caviar d'aubergine".  The texture is all about smoothness (or so I was taught).  I like this rustic, highly textured variety - made especially interesting with the addition of red peppers, herbs and onions.  It was tangy, smokey, slightly spicey and full of eggplant goodness.  I just love how the color stays so light & refreshing.

 

Now, look at the tabouli.  Notice how different the tabouli pictured here is from the other tabouli we have come to know and love.  Here, it is all about the parsley, then tomatoes, a bit of mint, and finally, you see there is a small bit of bulgur.  Perhaps this looks unappealing (it doesn't grab me visually, I will admit), however, whatever it lacks in looks, it more than makes up for in taste!  It is a must try.  I will start to do some recipe testing because I am now an addict and the habit is too expensive to support on the market! 

 

For the chickpea purée:  it is much creamier compared to "normal" hummus.  This one had a more pronounced taste of tahini (sesame seed paste) than I am accustomed to.  Very miam (that's french for yum")!

The last item here is "fromage blanc" (white cheese).  Fromage blanc, I admit, still puzzles me a little.  From where I come from, there is no such thing as fromage blanc.  Perhaps the closest we get in the US is cottage cheese, but it's completely smooth here!  It reminds me of a thicker greek yoghurt.  Anyway, no matter how I try to describe the texture, I can say that the taste is pure delight!  The added mint brings a refreshing aspect to the dip.

A take-away portion for 2 people:  30€ (including the bread which only cost 0.70 centimes!).  

I will report back with any success on the parsley tabouli and eggplant "mash"!  And I hope you have a chance to try these things.  You can find them at most open-air food markets in Paris, and at specialty middle east "traiteurs" (caterers).  And baguettes work just fine in case you don't have that flatbread...

:/dma

 

Today in the Kitchen - Summer's Market Menu

Today was a day to reconnect with someone who took one of my market tours/cooking lessons/lunches last September.  We had an absolutely great time last year visiting Marché Président Wilson, stuffing chicken, making a Hollandaise sauce (ha!...an inside joke...) & such, her first visit to Paris.  Having fallen in love with this city as many of us do, she is now here on her 2nd adventure.

And so we teamed up again today in the kitchen.  This time we didn't concentrate solely on French cuisine as we had last year.  Anything was fair game.  The only criterion was that it had to be interesting to us and to our potential clients (she also caters).  We decided to do something very French (leeks & vinaigrette), something downright out of the blue (Halloumi, anyone?), and then Pad Thai...because of the love of it and to knock it off the "never cooked before" list.     

Here are today's creations in the kitchen:

Jeaunes poireaux, vinaigrette de noix et citron, oeuf dur râpé
Baby leeks, walnut & lemon vinaigrette, grated egg

Halloumi frit, tomates dété (Joël Thiebault), vinaigrette aux herbes
Fried Halloumi (cheese sticks), summer tomatoes, herb vinaigrette

Pad Thai aux crevettes - Shrimp Pad Thai

My thoughts on these recipes:

1. The leeks are really nice because tasting a baby leek is interesting in and of itself.  It is something to enjoy while in season, and now is the time.  They are soft and gentle and you can eat most, if not all, of the green part.  (With older leeks, you use only the white parts).   This first course is completely subtle (unlike the other two "in your face" dishes on today's menu)...but sometimes subtle is great.  For a multi-course tasting menu, this would be a stellar beginning...
2. That Halloumi has become my favorite new thing.  Bye-bye preserved lemon.  You've just been replaced (only momentarily though!).  I can't describe how satisfying this dish is.  It has texture.  It has flavor.  It has color.  Ace in the bucket.  Man oh man.  Can't wait to share this with other willing takers -- you must simply trust what I say!  For any Chicagoans out there, however, if you like Saganaki...you'll understand immediately what I'm talking about and I know you will love this.  That's all I have to say.
3. Authentic Pad Thai - the secret is in the sauce & the organization.  It is comforting and full of contrasting flavors and textures (sweet, salty, tangy, spicy, crunchy, soft...).   I don't expect many customers will request this on their menus since you can go to just about any restaurant and get a great Pad Thai, but I will for sure be repeating this for my husband and friends...très, très souvent!  (But I secretly hope people will order it...it is amazing!)

:/ dma

Crantinis

Here's a cocktail that is both beautiful and intoxicating, so be careful - they are so nice looking and festive, that you might forget to sip!

We once offered Crantinis at a dinner party as a pre-dinner cocktail.  Almost half of our 11 guests were french, and none of them took up the offer.  Not even interested.  They went for the Champagne.  I'm not saying that that says anything, I'm just saying that that is the way it was.  (That's a lot of "thats" in one sentence, isn't it...and my old english teacher must be cringing wherever he is...).  Four of us did go for it, however.  Three American gals & one Irish guy.  He said something like, an Irishman would never turn down an offer for a drink....neither could the Americans apparently! 



 So, here's how I make them:

Enough for 2 drinks

2 shots vodka
1 shot cranberry juice extract (fresh cranberries that are put through a juicer)
splash of lemon
1 shot of simple syrup* (optional)
Lots & lots of ice cubes - as many as will fit in your martini shaker

* simple syrup = putting equal quantities of water and sugar in a pan and warming it until the sugar melts.  Make as much or as little as you need.

Yes, I shake mine.  Always.  So, that's it:  add all ingredients to the cocktail shaker & shake it up, baby.  Keep shaking.  Maybe put a towel on the shaker because it's going to get good & cold.  Keep shaking.  Water from the melted ice that you've been shaking will dilute the drink a bit (definitely in a good way).  Then pour a little & taste.  Is it good?  Do you like it?  If not, now's the time to rectify it.  Add a little more cranberry juice or more simple syrup....or maybe more vodka?  I certainly won't judge... 

I actually prefer it on the dry side rather than sweet, but everyone might not agree with me on this.  I added freshly juiced cranberry juice because we didn't have any bottled cranberry juice in stock but did have an extra bag or two of cranberries in the freezer.  That made the cranberry juice natural, without added sugar, and by default, it turned out Crantinis on the dry side. 

Don't you just love the little bubbles?  I only added this picture because of that....and the brilliant red color which I swear is only possible if you use freshly juiced cranberry juice...

This drink is smooth, tart, acidic, and has a hint of vodka.  Bon dégustation.  Hope you enjoy. 

Tarte Fine à la Tomate & Moutarde

Tomato & Mustard Puff Pastry Tart

The tail end of summer is winding down fast.  Here's an easy tart to pull together that uses the last summer tomatoes you may have on hand.  This makes a great lunch when served with a salad, packs well for picnics or makes nice appetizers if cut into bite-size pieces.

Ingredients:

200-230g / 7-8 oz puff pastry (either fresh, or frozen that has been thawed)
5-6 ripe tomatoes, sliced thinly and seeded
about 2-3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
about 1/3 - 1/2 cup of grated gruyère or swiss cheese
2-3 tablespoons olive oil
salt & pepper
herbs de provence, to taste
chopped sun dried tomatoes (optional)
1 tablespoon capers (optional)

It's so easy, that you can practically follow the pictures to understand how to do it:

 

 

1. I used a 26 cm / 10 inch glass pie pan - I buttered the bottom before laying out the puff pastry dough inside. Make a decorative edge by pinching the sides with your figures (we'll just call it rustic then).  You could also make this in a rectangular shape or cut into small individual circles.  Use a sheet of parchment paper underneath in these cases.  Dock the dough; rest in fridge until needed.
2. Preheat oven to 200°C /400°F (I used convection).
3. Cut your tomatoes thinly and seed them.  Coat with olive oil.  Set aside until needed.
4. Spoon the mustard on the bottom of the puff pastry dough.
5. Sprinkle with cheese.  Just a thin layer is enough.  This isn't really about the cheese, it's all about the tomato.  Sprinkle sun dried tomatoes over the cheese (if using).
6. Place the sliced tomatoes in a rosary pattern around your tart, on top of the cheese.  You could even cut them in half again to get a tighter pattern. I didn't do that today, but when I do, it looks really nice.
7. Season well with salt, pepper and herbs de Provence (or substitute with rosemary, thyme).  Sprinkle a little more chopped sun dried tomato and capers, if using.
8. Bake in oven about 20 minutes, or until nicely browned on the  top, side and bottom (the advantage of the glass is that you can actually see it).  The tomatoes should be cooked down a bit & there shouldn't be liquid left from the tomatoes. 
9. Remove from oven and let rest about 15 minutes.  Can be served room temp or slightly warmed but I find that it's not as good if served piping hot out of the oven.

Enjoy!


:/dma

Bye Bye Bali...Back to Paris

It's been forever since I've was in Bali and returned to Paris.   Since end of April in fact.  Don't know what happened here.  Time seems to have just evaporated, like it tends to do. The year has been busy with several events, private dinners, cooking lessons and the such, but also with lots of visitors.

OK, so that's my way of explaining why I haven't been around much.  "Stuff" has been happening.  Oddly enough, it's not as easy to restart as I thought.  The longer the break, the more difficult it is. 


The good news is that I've been cooking up a storm this year...!

Anybody still out there?  (I hope, I hope!)

:/dma

Fruit Smoothie

I just love smoothies and have been making a lot of them here in Bali. All you need is a blender, some fresh fruit or vegetables, a few ice cubes and/or cold juice.  I personally prefer the naturally sweet, fruit smoothies, but have insisted on occassionally drinking the less sweet, vegetable varieties, all in the name of good health.

Here's a fruit smoothie recipe that I made not so long ago.  Of course, you don't have to use as many ingredients as I did - that's what happened to be on hand.  They're absolutely delicious with a couple of fruits only - and most any variation works well as far as I'm concerned. There's only one critical rule:  the fruit must be ripe, and therefore full of flavor!!  I know that goes without saying, but I felt compelled to say it anyway!

Recipe

1 baby banana
1 white peach
about 1/2 a cup of each:  watermelon, papaya, mango
1/2 cup of fruit juice (orange, or apple, or whatever you have; I used freshly squeezed orange)
5-10 ice cubes

Cut fruit into chunks & place in a blender with the juice.  Turn on and blend till smooth...you may need to stop & stir the pot a few times, or add a splash of water, to get it mixing well...Add as many ice cubes as you like - it does dilute the flavor a bit, but the trade off is that it produces a thicker, more refreshing drink.  Which I'm all into around here!

Optional additions:  Greek plain yoghurt & honey, tsp of wheatgerm, a few leaves of arugula, carrot juice instead of fruit juice...we could go on and on here...

Enjoy!

:/dma

Bali Food - Tropical Fruits Part 1

 I simply can't get enough of the local fruits.  Even a banana tastes so much better than a banana....And it's not just me romanticizing things because of the beautiful surroundings, they really do taste better!

Tropical fruits in Bali are refreshingly satisfying, but more importantly, they are fresher than fresh.  I think it may have something to do with lack of refrigeration at the markets and perhaps in many homes.  Therefore everything is harvested just in time for selling, and bought just in time for using. Or so I've been reading. At any rate, they are the freshest tropical fruits I've had in a long time.

I find myself naturally gravitating toward these wonderfully nutritious treats.  Any time of day.  It feels like I'm on an unplanned spa detox, or something, because I've lost all interest in french style breads & pastries, cheeses, and even wine. (Yes these items are available here in my hotel, at the expat grocery stores, or at specialty stores/cafés).  I just have no taste for them.  Anyone who knows me well might find that hard to believe, but with so many fruit choices and fruit juices at hand, I tell you it's easy to do.

Here is a sampling of some local fruits, many of which I tried for the first time:

The Rambutan, or sometimes called the hairy red fruit.  It reminds me of a lychee but not quite so juicy.  The flavor is great however.  I love it & recommend trying it.  The "hairs" are not as prickly as they might seem.  And it's quite easy to open up.  I used a knife just to see, but you can easily peel it and pop it into your mouth.  Just be careful not to eat the pit. 

The Salak, or snakeskin fruit, is a rather exotic looking thing.  Who would ever guess you'd find a fruit inside that hard looking armoured exterior?  It's not a soft fruit.  In fact, it's crunchy and kind of hard.  The texture almost reminds me of a clove of garlic.  In fact, it looks like a clove of garlic on the inside, but luckily tastes nothing like it.  It has more of a nutty taste with a citrus acidity.  Each of the white bulbs contains a big brown pit which is not edible.  I find this fruit interesting.  I don't know what you could do with a salak other than to eat it as is....but I certainly appreciate it, even if it's not the first fruit I would grab from the fruit basket (that honor goes to passion fruit...)    

Orange Peel Passion Fruit - simply amazing.  So fresh;  so fragrant.  In Paris, I can buy passion fruit (with a dark red peel) at the légumerie and the vendor will pick out the wrinkle skinned ones because those are the ripest.  Here, that's not been the case.  The skins have been smooth & fresh looking.  If you're not familiar with passion fruit, simply cut them in half and scoop out what's inside.  The fruit is actually a gelatinous kind of liquid with seeds.  The liquid is divine and the crunchy seeds are edible.  All together, it is outrageously good.  The perfum of the fruit is delicate and hard for me to describe.  You must taste one for yourself.  In this variety, the liquid is a pale grey color and the seeds are a darker shade of that.  You can see the uncut, whole fruit in the top photo - it might look like an orange, but it is a passion fruit.  And by the way, they are super light weight.

Yellow Peel Passion Fruit - here the very smooth outside peel is a pale yellow color, the gelatinous liquid is yellow, and the seeds are dark.  This variety also tastes divine.  This particular one was very juicy, and slightly acidic....making it very good!  The little white nubbies inside are really soft and pliable which is a nice mechanism for protecting the delicate fruit inside. It's no wonder that passion fruit finds its way into many dessert and pastry delicacies...

More tropical fruits from Bali to follow later on...

:/dma

Bali Adventures

Yesterday it was 6°C (43°F) in Paris.  Today,  I'm in Bali with 30°C (86°F)  temperatures and 95% humidity.  (It took 25 hours door to door, by the way, in case you're wondering...)

I usually drone out the noise of traffic , sirens, and the occasional drunk before falling asleep in Paris.  Here the sounds are much different - high winds and monsoon rain storms at the moment, tropical birds, or intense waves crashing against the beach.  I am a world away.

Join me on this adventure over the next four weeks.  More than anything, I hope to share new food discoveries from Indonesia.  I have no doubt there will be plenty!  And I never would have imagined coming here like this...

/dma

Survey on French Pastry, Boulangerie & Food Experience in Paris

For all you French pastry, bread & food lovers, please take 5 minutes to fill out the survey that can be found on this link:

http://www.esurveyspro.com/Survey.aspx?id=947ab6b9-e142-4032-abe5-a09cdc487403

It will help my friend Guillemette with her final thesis for her master's degree in Patisserie-Boulangerie tourism in Paris.

Merci beaucoup!
;/dma

My New Scooter

Just to share some news.  I'm now mobile!  Oui!

I've had my little Peugeot Ludix two full weeks now.  It's been a challenge to say the least.  Here's what I've gotten used to in this short period of time:

• navigating the traffic of Paris, 
• safely driving through some of it's crazy round-abouts (but I still don't feel ready for the Arch de Triomphe yet...),  
• surviving some aggressive traffic (e.g., on strike day when Montparnasse was completely blocked off....let me tell you that the drivers were getting plenty irritated...honking all over the place, and whatnot...), 
• surviving the gas strike (luckily, I didn't run out...but that feeling of uncertainty is not much fun...), 
• driving on two wheels - hadn't done that in a very long time!
• driving with a load after shopping, etc.
• driving with a GPS
• driving during rush hour, but I much prefer driving around on a quiet Sunday morning!
• driving outside of Paris, even...
• driving in the rain
• getting my speedometer fixed (yes, this never happens, said the mechanic...except it did...)
• having perpetual "bad hair";  oh well, something's gotta give!

I'm over the hump.  Have been to several customer events with it & food on hand!  I love the flexibility it brings me.

And I promised Eric to stay out of the blind spot of big trucks & buses....

So, now, my new motto is:  "Have scooter; will deliver!"

/dma

The Scoop on Scoop

Unfortunately, Scoop, "le café branché" is gone.  It closed its doors sometime recently, over the summer break apparently.   I only found out the other day, as I walked down rue Saint Honoré like I have a million times before, and was shocked to find it was simply not there anymore!     

I don't know the story behind why they closed - it had a good following.  Some even thought they had the best burger in Paris.  Others liked their bagels.  And of course, they were known for their ice cream.  Looking at their website gives a clue - it appears they're planning something new....I say, "Bon chance! And please stay close to the neighborhood!"

I feel a need to make a batch of bagels in remembrance of the old place...

Here's a picture of the new place.  It's called Oh mon Cake!! (Oh my Cake!!, as if that needs translating!).  I haven't felt compelled to try it.  Maybe because I've been too busy making my own sweets lately or maybe because I'm not that in to rice crispy treats and pound cakes.  (I'm sure that if I were to actually go in, I would discover much more.)  If anyone tries it, I hope to hear from you!

:/dma

Encornets de pesto - Baby Squid with pesto

If you like Mediterranean food, including baby squid, you just might like this.  It's really delicious if you can find fresh ingredients, which is what I did here, thanks to a visit to Marché Raspail in the 6th district of Paris.  This becomes a great 1st course for summer - served at room temperature.

Ingredients for 4 servings
600g whole baby squid, cleaned up & cut into small rounds
1 lemon to garnish the plate

Pesto:
2 bunches of fresh basil
1 clove of garlic (2, if you love garlic)
80g (approximately) parmesan, high quality
80g (approximately), toasted pine nuts
splash of lemon
~100 ml of high quality olive oil

• In your food processor, add garlic until pulverized.  Add basil & mix.  Add parmesan & pine nuts.  Add olive oil.  Season.  Add lemon juice.  Adjust seasoning & ingredients as necessary.
• In a frying pan, heat a splash of olive oil.  Add the calamari rings, season & cook until tender (some water will be released).  Don't overcook or they become rubbery.  Remove from pan.
• Coat the calamari with some pesto.  Stir.  Add more pesto as required & season to taste.

Be sure to serve with a fresh baguette & a nice Sancerre.

Enjoy!

/dma

Salicorne (Pousse-Pierre)

I've got salicorne on my mind.  We recently had dinner with friends from Colombia, who were passing through Paris - so I went to the market on Sunday morning to see what I could find for dinner that night.  At the fish shop sat a pile of fresh salicorne.  Cool!  I don't see that often, and so I eagerly asked the fish guy to give me a few handfuls.

So, what is salicorne exactly?  I tasted it for the first time in the marshlands of Brittany many years ago while visiting a fleur de sel "farm", just off the Atlantic coast.  It's a green plant, a sea vegetable, that grows wildly along the salt marshes.  We picked some that day & ate it on the spot, guided by an expert from the region.  It was salty, immensely crunchy & very moist!  An explosion of sea in your mouth, without it tasting too salty, oddly enough.  I immediately liked it. 

Salicorne goes by many names...I don't think I've seen anything called so many different things!  My favorite is sea asparagus because, well, they kind of look like mini asparagus (to me) & they  taste like the sea!  Other names include slender glasswort, sea beans, sea pickle, and samphire.  Isn't Google great...It also clarified for me that it originates off the coasts of Europe but can also be cultivated and found in other parts of the world, including the coasts of North America, South Africa and South Asia.  Many high end restaurants use it on their plates because it is surprisingly good & beautiful.

It can be eaten raw, pickled, and sautéed....

I served it raw on Sunday night as part of the entrée froid (cold 1st course):  Ceviche de bar, mariniére de coquillages aux aromates et salicorne (Sea bass ceviche, shellfish & aromatic vegetable salad with sea asparagus).

Here's how I prepared it:

I gave it a brief soak in fresh water and then painstakingly cut off the ends of each mini stalk, where it had browned ever so slightly & I didn't think that would look so appetizing on the plate (see middle photo above - cutting the ends off so meticulously is probably not necessary unless, of course, they've started to go bad...it's just my preference to eat them looking pristine, so that's why I did it that way...)  Then I tossed them with a vinaigrette, added some freshly ground pepper, and DID NOT salt them!  They're plenty salty as it is, which by the way, you might want to leave them to soak in water a bit more than I did to desalinate them more...  Anyway, next I simply added the seasoned salicorne to the plate, as a decorative garnish.  That's all.  Not everyone will like the texture or taste, but it's certainly a discovery & well worth trying.  It's at the tail end of the season, so if you come across it, don't be afraid to give it a try!

Hope you enjoy it!
/dma

ps.  It was great to see you again, Patricia & Philippe!

Arlette's Tabouli

I'm calling this Arlette's tabouli in honor of Arlette.  Arlette is the Lebanese mammy who has lived in Paris the past 20 years and who had been taking my Monday night cooking lessons at the Centre Vercingétorix all year long.  Classes are now over, following the schedule of the vacances scholaire (school vacation).

One of our last lessons was called simply Mezze.  I brought my three recipes that night:  tabouli, cucumber-yogurt-mint salad, and hummus.  The week before everyone had enthusiastically agreed to the idea of doing these Mediterranean inspired salads, or Mezze ( it is for eastern Mediterranean foods what Tapas is to the Spanish....small appetizer dishes that can be served with a drink as a starter to a meal, or with enough, they can become the meal itself).

I really needn't have brought recipes because shortly after we got started, it became apparent that Arlette was going to lead this class!  Not out of some arrogant desire to take control or show the others what she could do....no, not at all.  That is the complete opposite of this woman, who is naturally quiet, patient, and respectful.  In fact, I was happy to see this more assertive Arlette who had seemed all year long willing to do the last tasks no one else volunteered for (peeling onions, cleaning lettuce, chopping garlic, etc).  Rather, her quiet leadership gradually and naturally happened - from someone who has made these dishes all her life, a million times or more, methodically and confidently, with no recipe at all in mind!

So, I share this Mezze in honor of Arlette.  It represents to me the thousands of other recipes that are borne out of tradition, passed down from generation to generation.  In actuality, my recipe & hers are not much different except Arlette doesn't boil the water to soften the bulghur.  (And now I don't either!)  I've included quantities from my own recipe as a basic guideline.  Use it & adjust to your own taste preferences.

Ingredients - 6 servings

200g bulgur, fine
water to cover the bulgur by 2-3 inches (5-8 cm)
250g tomatoes, diced
55g spring onion
75 - 100g lemon juice
75 - 100g olive oil
1/2 bouquet of fresh mint
1 - 1.5 bouquets of fresh, flat-leaf parsley
salt, pepper

1. Rinse bulgur well with water.  Place in a large bowl & cover with tap water.  Let sit for about 20 - 30 minutes or until bulgur is softened.
2. Peel, seed & dice the tomato (or simply dice without peeling & seeding, if you prefer).
3. Finely chop the spring onion.
4. Clean & dry the herbs & then finely chop.
5. After bulgur is ready, drain any excess water.  Add the tomatoes, onions, lemon juice, olive oil mint, parsley, salt & pepper.  Mix together well.  Adjust seasoning as desired (add more lemon juice & olive oil if too dry;  make sure it's salted & peppered enough).

p.s. An authentic libanese tabouli does not have cucumber, chick peas or anything else added.  Feel free, if you like!  I don't mind.  But Arlette might!  ;)

 An idea of what else you can do with Tabouli:  

1st course:  Tian de tabouli, orange, guacamole & crab

Enjoy!
/dma

Forest of Green on the Champs-Elysées

Much has already been written about the 2-day transformation of the Champs-Elysées into a bio-diverse landscape of green vegetation, called Nature Capitale (May 23rd & 24th).  We had to go see it, along with over a million other people.  Yes, it was packed, even at 11am on a holiday Monday (Pentecote).  With so many people all converging at the same spot, we only lasted an hour there.  I'm still glad we went.  Here's what we saw, starting at the Arc de Triomphe end of the Champs-Elysées:

This is where we stopped our visit, about half way down to Place de la Concorde.  Along the way, we ran into entertaining street musicians, admired a concept car at the Renault store, did some pretty interesting people watching, got a kick out of seeing all the traffic lights without the traffic, and enjoyed being able to walk down the Champs Elysées amongst all the green, without a single honking horn!  


:/dma