"sans greed"
I love Paris and I love great food...
I am fortunate to be able to partake in both....
My first cookbooks were those of Julia Child, where I began to learn to cook and bake. It wasn't quite like the movie Julie and Julia, but I did a lot of reading and trying. I had my successes and failures, but I was learning. One of my near misses burned the nylon stocking off my legs!! As I was turning out the creme brule on to a plate, the hot syrup splattered all over my legs. The dessert survived and I served it to my dinner guests without delay. I didn't tell a soul, but I did excuse myself to go wash off the sticky substance. I guessed that Julia Child would be able to relate to me on that!!
I learned through the years that keeping it simple was the key. Simple is all about fresh, top quality, and clean tastes. I try to avoid any processed foods, if at all possible.
I skip the aisles in the middle of our grocery stores....just walk the perimeter for the fresh fruits, meats and fish, and the dairy. You can be in and out very fast. Of course for a variety of tastes, the pantry will need to be stocked with spices. But if you don't have those spices, a hot potato with a good butter melting on top is still super, as Joel Robuchon states in the video below.
All this is leading up to the video linked below. The bistro/brasserie is alive and well in Paris.
Great food is available and at reasonable prices. The food is simple, well executed, inventive and delicious....what more can one ask for. The up-and-coming chefs are committed to the food and the more casual dining experience, they aren't looking to make a fortune or open many fancy restaurants around the world....we should all be able to go out and find great food, and don't forget the wine.
I think this Anthony Bourdain episode is one of my favorites, if you haven't seen it before give it a try. It's 42 minutes of mouth-watering enticement.
I've gotta get myself back to Paris soon! I'm making my list.....
I avoid the middle aisles as well. As soon as I bring any of the processed junk into my house I eat it, so I do my best to only by fresh 'real' food and cook from scratch :)
ReplyDeleteI'm with you,Sara, if it's in the house I will eat it!
ReplyDeleteThe thing I love about the food in France is that we always know where it came from as in, what region of France or what country. Genetically modified foods are rare. We can actually eat raw eggs and the vendor tells you how long they will be good raw and at what date you will need to cook them in order to eat them. I love the way they actually think about food here. But i still can go through a can of Pringles if it's presented to me!
ReplyDelete@Delana: Food is getting "scarier and scarier" at the grocery store! I try to buy unadulterated fresh food, but it's hard to know for sure if they have added any chemicals. Why do they have to mess with our food?
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