Please find the new home of French Press Memos at forkandpen.com. There you can get the details on the move, name change, new recipes, and musings. Thank you for stopping by and see you at the new location.
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Before there was Alinea, Eleven Madison Park, and Red Medicine, there was Michel Bras of Bras, 3-Michelin star restaurant in Laguiole, southern France creating Le Gargouillou, likely the most outrageous vegetable dishes known to man. Step Up to the Plate, a newly released documentary, tells the story of Bras with a focus on the tense but unavoidable transition of kitchen control from Michel, the man who built the restaurant from scratch, to Sebastien, his son who has dedicated 15 years to working and learning the Bras kitchen and philosophy inside and out.
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On a Friday afternoon, we were asked if we would be interested in attending an informal chicken slaughter and processing class at a private farm close to Denver. The answer was a categorical yes – no hesitation, no second thoughts. I called the organizer and informed him that it would be the two of us, my husband and I, and that we will be bringing our 4 year old daughter, Lulu. Not once did it cross my mind not to bring her. He hesitated. I assured him that she has been on farms around animals before and that she is very well-behaved. I was looking forward to this experience. In the morning, I told Lulu that we would be going to a farm. I wanted to make sure she understood what we were about to do. I talked to her about all the chicken things she eats- the chicken soup, the roasted chicken, the fried chicken, the chicken salad, the chicken schnitzel, and the chicken wings. I asked her where it comes from — the chicken farm, she answered. I wasn’t convinced she got it so I asked what does the chicken look like — a chicken, she said. This … Continue reading
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I am back in Denver, slowly digesting the month that I spent in Europe, some of it traveling in France, some visiting Romania. I left Bucharest 11 years ago and returned to visit each year with great pleasure. This year it was more than great pleasure – I did not want to leave. Bucharest is where I grew up, where I learned to play, to read, to kiss, to drive, to cook. There, I learned to walk on cobble stone in high heels, to hail a cab, to ride the metro, and to parallel park in impossible conditions. In the last two or three years, the city has changed – I felt revived magic, spectacular additions, great changes. I cannot wait to go back so to cure my blues I wanted to share some of my favorites. This is by no means comprehensive – it is a teaser of sorts, an insider’s short tip list to be added to an itinerary that celebrates and recognizes the culture, architecture, and art that Bucharest has to offer.
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I love duck. I love that it takes skill and care to make it shine and I love the versatility that duck allows in preparations. The point for me is not the type of dish- it can be prosciutto, tacos, fried wings, or cassoulet and I will likely order it and probably love it as long as it is done, well, right. I found an outstanding duck dish tonight at Bittersweet: the Duck Tasso. An appetizer, the Duck Tasso is a play on the Tasso ham, a Louisiana specialty made of pork shoulder. Traditionally, the pork cured in salt briefly then rubbed with a spice mixture that includes cayenne pepper and smokey paprika. The duck version at Bittersweet takes duck breast cured in salt then rubbed with a variety of spices that make it just slightly tingly hot on the tongue.
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I had dinner at the French Laundry last week – it had been a long time coming. I debated writing about it for a variety of reasons. I don’t want to brag or to review or to ooh and aah about it. And I don’t think I can add much that has not been already said. Because of these reasons, I did not take pictures of my dinner and constrained myself to only mental notes that allowed me to enjoy every second I had there.
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Among the 100 things you should do before you die, attending the Food and Wine Classic in Aspen is a given. It is outrageous, spectacular, overwhelming to the senses. For the food lover, it is like being at the Oscars and roaming among the stars, eating, drinking, small talking. The Food and Wine Classic 2012 is in full swing this week and parties happen as I type so my call to action here is a tad on the later side but here is the good news. There is a mini version of this event that you can still experience, the tail end of the fabulous weekend – the Grand Cochon.
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Do you do that thing where you imagine everyone in the room in their underwear? Gabrielle Hamilton asked me when I confided that I was a little nervous. I looked at her for a long second, then said she still looked great. I met Gabrielle Hamilton at Frasca Food and Wine for an interview yesterday afternoon. As I drove there, I was nervous – not the star-struck way knot in my throat nervousness. It was more the butterflies in my stomach- please-don’t-disappoint-me way. I respect and love Hamilton for all she is – a solid cook, a skilled writer, and a well-recognized figure in the food world.
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Last year I practically begged to go on this trip. I missed my chance to sign up by a couple of weeks and it was, not surprisingly, sold out. The Truffle has organized a farm trip every year- one farm, one day, a bus full of cheese-lovers loyal to the shop and thankful they were on the ball enough to secure their seat. Because of the popularity of this trip, Karin and Rob Lawler, owners of the Truffle, decided to do a double day at the farm. Join the Truffle for Get a Whey on Sunday, May 27th or Monday, May 28th at Ugly Goat Milk Company – departure 8:45 a.m. from Denver, return at 3:00 p.m. Ugly Goat Milk Company is spectacular- there are goats and cows, dogs and ducks, geese and a few sheep, horses, alpacas and a couple llamas – a lovely mix to be enjoyed by kids and grownups alike. To reserve your space on the bus, please call the shop at 303-322-7363. All of our knowledgeable staff can answer questions you may have. Cost $65 per person for adults, $55 for children. Cost includes transportation to and from the farm, personal tour of the farm, gourmet lunch prepared … Continue reading
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Some of the best parties I have ever been to were the Fuel Patio parties. There was always a theme- a pig roast, a pizza party, Spanish tapas- always complete with beautiful food, nice music, and a community of people that loved their environment and life in general. The patio is perfectly fitted for it and there is always plenty of parking. The only catch is you need to book your spot in advance- there are limited seats and it is invariably sold out. Details below.
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Andra Zeppelin : French Press Memos