Food (& Wine) Books by French Authors Make Good Gifts

by Paige Donner

Any season is a good season to give the gift of an exquisite, illustrated book about food and/or wine. Here you will find three selections, all of which are authored by French experts in their fields of food and wine, Gérard Bertrand (wine), Eric Kayser (pâtisserie) and Régis Marcon (mushrooms). The books are printed in French, for now, but with such exceptional picture illustrations, they very easily span the cultural divide.

 
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Champignons by Régis Marcon

Selected here are Régis Marcon's book about Champignons, and I mean all kinds. This Loire-based three-star French chef came out with his book from Martinière publishing in 2013. In early December he won another accolade for it, this time from Champagne Collet who holds a culinary book competition every year, the Livre de Chef. The event's official name is Champagne Collet du Livre de Chef and you can read more about it here and more about the illustrious chef Régis Marcon's 416 page book about mushrooms, here.

 

 

Champagne Collet prix du livre 2014 Book by Régis Marcon, Champignons, photo by Paige Donner copyright

 

Champagne Collet prix du livre Chef Régis Marcon middle, Olivier Charriaud, ceo champagne collet, far left photo by Paige Donner copyright

 

Champagne Collet prix du livre book selection December 2014 photo by Paige Donner

 

Champagne Collet prix du livre chef Régis Marcon left, champagne collet ceo Olivier Charriaud, right photo by Paige Donner copyright 2014

 

 *Author's note: as a stunning example of the cultural communications chasm that still exists between France and the rest of the culinary world, imagine standing in a room of food and wine journalists at a chef's book award event in France and having everyone swear to you that they've never heard of Zagat's! No kidding. The main problem with this scenario is not ignorance, since not everyone can know about everything, even when it comes to such important food and restaurant Bibles as Zagat's (which does, officially, have a presence here in France, even since Google bought them out a few years ago). No the real problem with that scenario is the self-assured smugness of local, francophone culinary journalists and marketing/export teams who insist that if they haven't heard of something, there is no merit to it. I assure you, however, that even though my anglo restaurant and food critics friends got a thorough kick out of this anecdote, to stand in a room full of culinary journalists (mainly francophone but also New Zealand and Australian) and have them all glare at you when you insist that Zagat's is, most definitely, a foodie's Bible and is of great import in our world, is NOT a fun experience.

It is these cultural divides, no, strike that, communication chasms, that I will continue to tackle in my newly expanded radio program, Paris GOODfood+wine. You can listen to that on World Radio Paris.

By the way, the only thing that saved my neck from the threatened lynching at the above noted event was that, thank goodness, the CEO of Champagne Collet had spent a bit of time abroad and did know about Zagat's, knew it well, in fact. But imagine, the only one in a room full of culinary professionals, wine marketing and export pros, and food-wine journalists (for the French market) who did! YOWZA!

 

Next up:

L'Atelier Gourmand d'Eric Kayser

Boulanger Eric Kayser is the darling of the fresh bread world here in Paris. He also has five or maybe even six now, bakeries in NYC. All of which are flourishing.

This new book of his focuses on his pâtisserie offerings. It follows his previous book release in 2013 that was all about the bread. With 20,000 books sold, it has seen great success.

This new book, just released in time for the end of year festivities,  is all about his simple cakes achieved with great finesse. You will find 70 recipes and tons of mouth-watering photos in the book of things like: strawberry macarons, caramel cakes garnished with nougatine mousse along with the traditional French offerings of fraisier, éclairs, mini-financiers and other assorted cakes and fine pastries.

Find out more at Maison Kayser.

 

 

L'Atelier Gourmand d'Eric Kayser book photo by Paige Donner copyright

 

Eric Kayser l'Atelier Gourmand d'Eric Kayser book signing December 2014 Paris photo by Paige Donner copyright

 

Eric Kayser signing l'Atelier Gourmand new book December 2014 Paris photo by Paige Donner copyright

 

Gérard Bertrand, Le Vin à La Belle Étoile

Last, but not least, is the book for wine lovers, especially of France's southern wines. Former rugby star turned wine mogul, Gérard Bertrand, has just released his book, Le Vin À La Belle Étoile.  The success of the marketing of his wines in the U.S. in recent years has defied previous market trends, introducing the American consumer to affordable French wines. Bertrand is also a champion of bio-dynamic wines and a lover of jazz music.  My video interview HERE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mnXEi-_FXg

 

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Gastronomy + Paris Luxury Sightseeing Bus = Bustronome

by Paige Donner

Move over foodtrucks, because France has re-envisioned the gourmet food-on-wheels concept and it's called the Bustronome.

Only in Paris!  This surely qualifies as one of those Only in Paris experiences.  The French, as you know, seem never to be satisfied with exhilarating experiences unless -and until - a healthy dose of good food and wine has been added to the mix.

 

This is one of those exhilarating experiences.

And a great big healthy dose of food and wine has been added to the mix here on Bustronome, the gourmet bus tour of the sacred sites of Paris that is sure to delight even the most reticent of foie gras lovers.

 SEE SLIDESHOW HERE

 

 

Bustronome Founders Jean-Christophe Fournier and Bertrand Mathieu

 

Bustronome Dinner menu (summer)

 

Bustronome - chef and team, Wow! Bravo!

 

Bustronome - ingenious way of keeping the glasses from slipping!

 

Bustronome fan (yours truly)

 

Bustromone Founders Jean-Christophe Fournier and Bertrand Mathieu

 

 

Founder Jean-Christophe Fournier and Head Waiter

 

 

 

The bus excursion starts off at the Etoile, aka the Arc de Triomphe. You can't miss the elegant big black bus that is parked there awaiting its passengers. The bottom level of the double-decker bus is outfitted as a chef's kitchen. The panoramic glass roof-covered and cozy upstairs seats about 40 comfortably in 4-top and 2-top tables, with an aisle inbetween both right and left window seatings.

Certainly the heros of the evening are the chef and his team, laboring below in a very coolly-equipped kitchen as the bus tools its way through the Parisian evening traffic. And the waiter who not only jogs up and down the flight of stairs all night long but carries trays of hot and heavy platters of this four-course meal.

The tables are customized with stylish plexiglass holders that keep your water and wine glasses in place. The dishes are weighted by their design, with your entrée coming in a covered stone pot, which keeps it from careening around on the table.

The evening is planned for about 2 1/2  hours but you should allow for up to four. The bus stops at some of the highlight points, such as in front of  the Eiffel Tower, the Notre Dame and at Place de la Concorde, allowing for passengers to get off and enjoy some fresh air (and smokers to get their fix).

Other iconic landmarks on the Bustronome's route include Musée d'Orsay, Opéra Garnier, Grand Palais, Saint-Michel and the Louvre.

AND they even have a lunch option, too. Prices for lunch (drinks included)  start at €85 pp. For that you have an appetizer of shrimp in coconut milk, garnished with mint leaves; duck foie gras served with tomato chutney; sea bass filet cooked with thyme, spring vegetables and soucis flowers; another main course of roasted veal served with baby carrots and mashed potatoes; then for the cheese course a selection of Rocamadour goat cheese drizzled with olive oil, sprinkled with rosemarky and garnished with dried apricots; Dessert is a chocolate cake with a melted chocolate center served with Sacher cookies and Arabica coffee with little flavored cocoa bits.

Champagne aperitif and wine pairings are included.

AND you have Paris at your feet, all evening long... More INFO here.

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Cité du Champagne

by Paige Donner

Every year in September France celebrates their Heritage Days, called the Journées du Patrimoine. This year, I dared to take a preview peek at one of the few new fabulous developments in Champagne.

Champagne Collet, also known as COGEVI, was the first Co-operative established in Champagne. It remains a Top Ten champagne producer, globally.

The oldest co-operative in Champagne, known now as Champagne Collet, located in the little village of Aÿ , has just finished its thorough renovations and construction of elaborate exhibit facilities that depict both the history of champagne in the region and their development as a Top Ten champagne producer.

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This champagne house, Champagne Collet, was first established as a Co-operative in 1921. It is the oldest Co-operative in Champagne.

View of Champagne de Castellane Tower in Epernay as you cross the bridge into Epernay coming from Ay, Champagne, France. This photo was taken just during the end of harvest 2014, at the golden hour. 

 All photos by Paige Donner copyright 2014 

The significance of its location in Ay, France, which sits just between Reims and Epernay, both dominant champagne producing towns in the region, is that it is the historic setting for the champagne growers' revolt that took place early in the 20th c. here.

Part of the fabulous exhibit that their facility now houses shows historical photographs and even an old (restored) film that gives accounts of this event. The event served to shape the history of the region and even the wine itself, which has so famously become known around the globe as champagne.

The cellars are also not to be missed. Their vintage cuvées are displayed with elegant accompaniment of local celebrated photographer's, Michel Jolyot's, photos. 

Since it is not yet officially open to the public, I am posting only a few photos here for now. When it does open its doors for public entry, it is definitely not to be missed. And the little town of Aÿ is one of the most beautiful little villages in Champagne. It is also home to Bollinger and Deutz among several other top-class champagnes.

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Umami, The 5th Taste, by Alexandre Bourdas

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	Umami, the 5th taste seen by Alexandre Bourdas SaQuaNa's chef was invited by chef Yoshiro Murata to share his knowledge on the umami in the book « Umami, the fifth taste ». A treatise on the subject, introduced by the major American chef Thomas Keller and the famous culinary history, technical and chemistry specialist Harold McGee. The book will be available in the United States and in Europe in September. ​ Follow us On Tumblr * Follow Us On Twitter * Like Us On Facebook ♥Chérie Du Vin​

Moby Chimes In With Hollywood Food Voices

by Paige Donner

Check out this new video, just dropped today, West Coast time, by Moby and Hollywood Food Voices:

"We Need Our Bees A Lot More Than They Need Us" - Moby paraphrasing Einstein

https://www.youtube.com/embed/8h2Qr_5gyN0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8h2Qr_5gyN0

"If the bees go, we're next," Moby said during an appearance on TakePart Live. "A huge percentage of our food supply is dependent on ...

a guided tour of Moby's four-acre home atop the Hollywood Hills, where over 30,000 bees dwell

full interview with Moby where he discusses his passion for bees, airing on TakePart Live on September 25th, and see snippets of the video.

Airs 7pmPST/10pmEST on PIVOT TV.

 

  honey bee colonies in the U.S. has dropped from over 5 million in 1940 to less than 2.5 million today

 

"Hollywood Food Voices" is an engaging and entertaining new platform whose goal is to create excitement, awareness, and a sense of empowerment within a wide demographic of viewers and concerned citizens.

 

BEES - indicator species - meaning their presence, absence, and their well-being is indicative of the health of our environment as a whole. So the plight of the bees is our plight as well.

 

Over the last several years, scientists have increasingly attributed pollinator declines to the indiscriminate use of systemic pesticides, most notably a class of insecticides known as neonicotinoids. Neonicotinoids are up to 10,000 times more toxic to bees than other insecticides, and their use can have both immediate and long-term effects. So while these bee-toxic pesticides are not theonly cause of declining bee populations, they are a primary contributing factor and certainly one we must do something about — fast.

 

The full video can be seen online starting September 26th at: http://www.hollywoodfood.org/bees

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Kale vs. Watercress

Just when we were all getting comfortable with kale… along comes watercress to mix everything up.

Watercress vs. Kale Which one wins the Heavyweight Nutritional Championship? And why?!

So what is all this fuss about watercress packing more of a nutritional punch than kale?

Based on a study carried out by researchers at the William Patterson University in New Jersey, watercress ranked at the top of the list for nutritional benefits out of a whole list of leafy greens (47 of them to be exact) when analyzed for their Nutritional Density Score. The score was determined by how much of these 17 vital nutrients—potassium, fiber, protein, calcium, iron, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, zinc, and vitamins A, B6, B12, C, D, E, and K—the vegetables contained

Nutrition Density Scores

Here's the ranking:

• Watercress: 100.00
• Chinese cabbage: 91.99
• Chard: 89.27
• Beet green: 87.08
• Spinach: 86.43
• Leaf lettuce: 70.73
• Romaine lettuce: 63.48
• Collard green: 62.49
• Turnip green: 62.12
• Mustard green: 61.39
• Endive: 60.44
• Kale: 49.07
• Dandelion green: 46.34
• Arugula: 37.65
• Iceberg lettuce: 18.28

However, when broken down, what this analysis reveals is nutrition based on a serving size of per 100 calories. Since kale packs 33 calories per cup and watercress only 4, that's where we see these two power greens diverge.

According to nutrition experts, any amount of leafy greens you eat is going to be good for you. And the more the better!

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God Bless The Baroness

by Paige Donner

Last summer, while attending Vinexpo in Bordeaux, I had the great good fortune to be issued a Press invitation to the Gala Dinner held at Mouton Rothschild in Pauillac, hosted by Madame Philippine de Rothschild. 

"The Baroness" Madame Philippine de Rothschild

The gala dinner that The Baroness (as her friends referred to her), Madame Philippine de Rothschild, was putting on was in honor of the first unveiling of their chateau's exquisite new cellars and museum on the premises of the venerable domain of Mouton Rothschild.

It was extraordinary to see the liveliness, ever present,  in such a courageous woman like The Baroness. She stood up on stage, alongside her son Julien and also the Mayor of Bordeaux, Alain Juppé, and spoke to the assembled guests of  250 people for a solid 20 minutes, unflagging. More than once she drew hearty chuckles from the crowd of some of the world's most esteemed winemakers and winery owners. She was still every inch a glamorous actress, even at 80.

Though petite in stature, her courage was immense. 

We all too often associate Mouton Rothschild and Bordeaux wines with tradition and venerability. And while I am not disputing its solid ranking in the history of wine, it is important to remember that the house has bucked tradition continuously since its founding. 

Firstly with the near-sacrilegious innovation of bottling at the chateau a couple centuries ago. Then, under Philippine's father's tutelage, dedicating label design to outstanding contemporary artists of the day. And, finally, appointing a woman, his daughter no less, to lead the house into the next millennium.

In a world of French wine all too often overshadowed by a huge majority of men, Madame Phillippine de Rothschild, The Baroness, showed courage, fortitude, leadership and an enviable sixth sense for business acumen (Chile!) and innovation (Mouton Cadet!) during her day. 

That's a legacy that will not be forgotten.

God Bless The Baroness. 

(More here about her life and legacy  on the NY Times)

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Trendy Wine Bars circa 2014 Infographic

This comes grace à la our friends over at VinePair.

Check out their awesome blog and Wine101 posts if you feel like picking up a trick or two about wine…

This one is awesome!

Originally from http://vinepair.com/wine-blog/stereotypical-trendy-wine-bar-circa-2014/

 

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Ice Cream Truck On The Champs-Elysées

by Paige Donner

All photos copyright Paige Donner 2014.

Summer time means ice cream. 

But what a - NICE! - surprise to find an ice cream truck parked right on the Champs-Elysées in Paris.

And not just anywhere on the Champs, but right at the corner of Avenue Montaigne and the Champs-Elysées. 

And the cherry on top?  It's all-organic sorbets and ice cream.

: )

Now we absolutely LOVE that!

All photos by Paige Donner

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Chilled Avocado Soup

The Avocado tree is native to Mexico and Central America...

The vitamins and minerals contained in this recipe can do everything from speeding cell turnover (to reveal healthier skin underneath) to protecting skin from the sun's damaging rays. Get plenty of moisturizing vitamin E from the avocados. Not only does vitamin E ease dry skin, but studies show it also may reduce free radicals and protect against damaging UV rays. Cucumbers are a great source of silica which, as a precursor to collagen, can help fight wrinkles. 

I like to serve this soup in individual glasses as a delicious appetizer. Sprinkle with a little dill and sprouted pumpkins.

Soup
In a blender, mix the following ingredients:

• 3 medium avocados, peeled and pitted and perfectly ripe
• 1 large cucumber, peeled and cut into smaller pieces
• 1 cup cold water (start with 1/2 cup; you can always add more)
• 3/4 cup lemon juice
• 1/4 cup packed mint leaves
• 1 small garlic clove
• Salt to taste

Pour in individual glasses and chill for a couple hours.
If you have no time to chill, lower the water content and replace with ice cubes.

Sprinkle Options
Chives, dill, mint & dehydrated pumpkin seeds, roughly chopped.

Inspired by Green Kitchen Story

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Fast Food Solution

by Paige Donner

WHAT BETTER TIME THAN SUMMER TO

1. EAT HEALTHIER

2. SPEND LESS TIME IN THE KITCHEN

3. TRANSFORM YOUR BODY TO FANTASTICALLY FABULOUS

With these three goals in mind, is it any wonder then that Fast Food Solution caught my eye in a big way?!

North Americans spend more time watching Cooking Shows than cooking their own meals!

I just had to see what these guys were all about… So I've dived right in, ordered up the program (a humble $37 as a Beta launch price) and am learning from Nick and Gen, two young Canadians, how to eat healthy, cook my own meals in 15 minutes or less and spend less than $5 per meal.

Wowzaaa!!!

Where have you been all my life?! Is all I can say.

The coursework is abundant and I've only just started on their integrated platform of videos, MP3 downloads and PDFs (including cheat sheets with rich visuals).

So check back with me in a few weeks once I've worked through some of the recipes in my own kitchen.

But for starters, the support is terrific, their layout is SUPER user friendly, and they've sliced and diced all the information down into very bite-sized and digestible pieces.

Plus, here's a few stats from their website. (Now you don't want to be one of those TV-watching, overeating porkers do you?!)

Just as guilty as the 100 million folks who are subscribed to the Food Network and watch endless hours of Top Chef, Hell's Kitchen and other epic cooking shows every single day.

The numbers don't lie…

The average American watches more than 5 hours of TV every single day, but spends a mere 27 minutes cooking food.

and check this out…

Every single week, a whopping 89.7% of the US adult population
– 228 MILLION people — is getting scammed at the grocery store.

In plain English…

Everyone who is trying to eat healthy is basically WASTING $123.91 and 41 minutes every single time they visit the supermarket.

Why? Simply because they end up buying the wrong foods, and falling for the clever marketing tactics and fattening
traps that the Global Food Conglomerate has set up in every aisle.

We know it's hard to believe.

But if you buy any of the foods below, the food companies have already found an easy way into your wallet…(read more on Fast Food Solution).

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White Strawberries - The Originals

by Paige Donner

La Freizh, La Freizh!!

A young, impassioned wild strawberry producer - gariguette in French - named Julien Héliès has launched a limited production of White Strawberries.

Did you know strawberries were originally WHITE?!

You might not have known that 300 years ago, when strawberries were first imported to Europe from Chile, they were white berries.  But they were. 

That was back in 1714 when, after two years of travels around South America, the explorer, Amédée Frezier, arrived back in Marseilles with 5 plants from Chile he brought with him of these white strawberries. One of these was planted in the botanical gardens of Brest. 

A bit larger than a wild strawberries found in the woods and hinting of a taste of pineapple amidst their delicious sweetness, this limited and very confidential production can be found by contacting the strawberry grower/agriculture cooperative directly at Saveol.com where you can also read more about the history of the strawberry in France and around the world. 

Personally I am waiting with bated breath until I see some of the Parisian chefs, or any international chefs, serve these up, fired simply by their fruitful - ; ) - imaginations. 

Saveol.com 

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