Monthly Archives: May 2012

Mushroom and Bell Pepper Quiche Recipe

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Golden brown and hot from the oven

It seems that the quiche is a staple of the French diet. You can pick up a mini Quiche Lorraine from the boulangerie for lunch, or order a slice of leek and salmon quiche served with salad at a café.  However, they are so easy to make, it’s best just to do it yourself.

As a nice vegetarian dish in the middle of the week, I like to make this mushroom and bell pepper quiche. I’ve tried using other vegetables, such as zucchini, but found it made the tart a bit watery. As the ready-made buttery, flaky pâte brisée pie crust is available in every grocery store in France for only around one euro, it’s a cheap and easy option when you don’t feel like cooking something more elaborate. In the US, a pre-made pie crust will work.

 

Ingredients:

- 1 pie crust (pâte brisée)
- 5 eggs
- ½ lb (250g) button mushrooms (champignons de Paris)
- 1 green bell pepper
- ½ log of goat cheese
- 1 tomato
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 small shallot
- Herbs de Provence
- olive oil
- salt and pepper

 

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 200˚ C (392 or round to 400˚F). Slice up the bell pepper and mushrooms and dice the garlic and shallot. Sautee in a pan with a bit of olive oil, adding salt, pepper and a few pinches of Herbs de Provence. Cook over medium heat for 8-10 minutes until the liquid has been reduced.

In a bowl, beat the eggs and add additional salt and pepper.

In a glass pie pan, roll out the dough with a layer of waxed paper underneath. Pinch the edges around the perimeter of the pan so that they don’t cave in. Add the egg mixture into the pie pan, then the sauteed vegetables. Use a slotted spoon or slotted spatula to transfer the vegetables to the pie pan in order to avoid scooping up the liquid and spread evenly.

Slice the tomato thinly and layer on top of the mixture. Slice the goat cheese log until you are about half of the way through, then layer these rounds on top as well. Put in the oven for about 25 minutes. Make sure the cheese is slightly browned and bubbling. Enjoy!

Translated and tweaked from:

http://www.marmiton.org/recettes/recette_tarte-aux-champignons-poivrons-et-chevre_66845.aspx

 

© 2012 Pasa’s Paris

 

Il Sorrentino: Gastronomic Italian at the foot of the Eiffel Tower

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Image via ilsorrentino.fr

For a special occasion, like a birthday, Il Sorrentino is the perfect place to dine. Owned by chef Raffaele, this upscale Italian restaurant will bring you straight to his home town of Sorrento, as the name suggests.

Note: It’s a good idea to call and confirm your reservation, especially if it happens to be on a jour ferié (holiday) as many restaurants in France are closed. Lucky for us, Il Sorrentino was open and full of life when we arrived on May 8, la fête de la victoire, the last day of World War II.

Located on rue Montessuy with a surprising view of the Eiffel Tower, Il Sorrentino is all white linen and soft lighting, with black and white images of Sorrento spanning the walls. My husband and I enjoyed a couple of glasses of champagne while waiting for our guests to arrive.

The view is dazzling

Once everyone was seated, we ordered bruschette à la tamate and parmigiana di melenzane for the table (a millefeuille of eggplant, mozzarella and tomato). Our waitress, who happened to be the wife of chef Raffaele, was very accommodating and attentive. For our main course, I enjoyed the linguini caso with shrimp and arugula, while my husband quickly devoured his trio of ravioli which he declared to be delicious. We all shared a bottle of robust Santa Cristina Le Maestrelle 2009 from Tuscany, which of course went very well with dinner. At the table next to us, someone must have ordered the house specialty, tagliatelle au fromage, because the waiter came over with a giant wheel of Parmesan which he lit on fire with a splash of Grappa and tossed the pasta in. It was quite show.

For dessert, I had the café gourmand, which is the French way of having your cake and eating it too: you get an espresso accompanied by a trio of small desserts. In this case, the espresso was a rich Italian variety, and I loved the tiny tiramisu and creamy panna cota with a raspberry coulis. The best part was the Italian pastry because it had candles sticking out of it that someone had given to the waitress beforehand. Okay, it was my birthday, and a wonderful evening at Il Sorrentino it was indeed.

 

Il Sorrentino

4 rue de Montessuy

75007 Paris

Metro : Alma Marceau or Ecole Militaire

http://www.ilsorrentino.fr/

 

© 2012 Pasa’s Paris

Paris Champagne Cruise

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There's nothing like drinking champagne on a boat cruise

Combining the best of what Paris has to offer without the crowds, the O Chateau wine tasting group offers a one-hour champagne cruise on the Seine, starting at the iconic Eiffel Tower.

At around a quarter to six, you board the shiny new Vedettes de Paris cruise boat at the foot of the pont d’Iena below the promenade quai Branly. Take a seat near the front of the boat in the glass-encased salon. There is a bar with snacks and other drinks, but who needs that when there will be bubbly? While waiting to start the cruise, you can watch the elevators bring people up and down the Eiffel Tower, or let yourself become mesmerized by the glistening water all around.

Cruising under the Pont Alexandre III

In the relaxed atmosphere of a small group, you will glide over the Seine while passing majestic monuments such as le Pont Alexandre III, le Grand Palais, le Musée d’Orsay, Notre-Dame, le Louvre, and more. All the while, a pleasant sommelier will come around periodically to serve you three glasses of champagne: first brut, then demi-sec, and finally a rosé. He will tell you a little bit about each, and more if you ask, but most of the cruise is spent sipping the champagne and admiring the view.

Paris' Little Liberty

Near the end of the tour, we were graciously offered a fourth glass of the champagne of our choice, and had the pleasure of admiring “Little Liberty” by the Grenelle Bridge on the Ile des Cygnes. The statue looks towards the Atlantic Ocean to her big sister in New York.

When the bubbles are gone and you’ve gotten off the boat, take a promenade along the quai de Branly and soak up the magic of the Seine for just a bit longer.

O Chateau Paris Champagne Cruise:

http://www.o-chateau.com/paris-wine-tasting/paris-packages/seine-river-cruise-paris

© 2012 Pasa’s Paris

 

 

 

Ma Boulangerie

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Tania & Thierry's mouthwatering boulangerie

Everyone who lives in Paris has their favorite neighborhood bakery. Back when we were living in the 18th, we had our choice of three good quality establishments all a few steps from our door. Here in the 10th, we prefer Tania and Thierry’s traditional boulangerie Pains et Saveurs on rue du Faubourg Saint Martin near Louis Blanc.

I knew we would like this place before we even moved to the neighborhood because the Google Maps image shows a line of people out the door. For a bakery, this is always a good sign. Another is the heavenly smell of baking bread that beckons you in from the street.

I fell in love with our boulangerie when I bought my first demie baguette. They actually bake half-size loaves instead of cutting a regular baguette in half, so the bread keeps its warm freshness until you decide to eat it. The taste of this bread is better than most others I have tried in Paris, and I admit that I have tried quite a few.

Third place for best baguette in Paris!

My opinion has even been confirmed recently in the Concours de la Meilleure Baguette de Tradition Francaise de Paris 2012 (competition for the best traditional French baguette in Paris). They came it at number three for all of Paris. Funny enough, one of our favorite bakeries across the street from our old apartment in the 18th got first place.

This isn’t a fancy bakery, and I don’t go there for its looks which are fairly standard. It does offer all the classic French pastries and breads you could want, from le sablé Smarties to le diplomate and the Paris-Brest. For months I would get a heavenly demie baguette almost every day to eat for my lunch, until I realized that my diet should probably include more variation than slices of white bread and cheese.

I have grown to adore their salade océanne which contains smoked salmon, surimi, tomatoes, lettuce and lemon slices. Accompanied by either a small portion of baguette or a petit pain aux ceréales, this makes for a satisfying lunch at under six euros.

"Your bread is in good hands" Tellement vrai! So true

I can’t say that the boulangères who work here are overly friendly. However, since I have learned the proper etiquette- wait in line, say “bonjour,” state your order followed by “s’il vous plaît,” hand them the money once they announce the price, say “merci, au revoir” and exit the shop- I have not experienced any problems. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for my husband.

On Saturday mornings, he often goes to the boulangerie to pick up a pain au chocolat and a baguette. At first, my husband got into a tiff with one of the boulangères because he could not understand what she was saying and she did not feel inclined to repeat her sentence. Back then it was not uncommon for him to return to our apartment with a scowl and a partially burned baguette.

Now, half a year later, my husband comes home with a smile and beautifully golden bread. It is true that it often takes time for the French to warm up to new people, but once they do, the benefits are well worth it.

Watch this short video about our local boulangerie:

http://www.cigaletv.com/Boulangerie-Pains-Saveurs_a313.html

 

Boulangerie Pains et Saveurs

Thierry et Tania Audou, Boulangers

219 rue Faubourg du Saint Martin

75010 Paris

 

© 2012 Pasa’s Paris

 

 

Heidelberg Top Five: Weekend Trip from Paris

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Heidelberg: arguably the most romantic city in Germany

It’s springtime again, and as Paris has not been giving us the greatest weather, my husband and I decided to hop on a train to Heidelberg, Germany. Just over three hours from gare de l’est with a quick transfer in Mannheim, picturesque Heidelberg is the perfect destination for one of the many long weekends in May, or any other time, really.

Once you have arrived at the main station in Heidelberg, walk outside to the tourist office and purchase a HeidelbergBEWelcomeCARD. Available for one, two, or four days, this handy card includes unlimited use of Heidelberg’s convenient public transportation system of trains and buses, a ticket to the Heidelberg Castle and German Pharmacy Museum, plus discounts on tours, museums, restaurants, shopping and more. A city map and guide are also included.

Here, a list of things not to miss in this fairytale German city:

 

  1. Where to Stay A short tram ride from central station and the old town, Hotel Deutscher Kaiser is a charming, modern establishment with comfortable beds and a delicious German breakfast of fresh rolls, yogurt, eggs, fruit, meats and cheeses included. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself drinking your coffee in the morning to the tunes of Creedence Clear Water Revival or Eric Clapton: this friendly hotel owner is a fan of American classic rock. Additionally, there are several cafes, a park and castle ruins nearby.

The friendly, non-touristy hotel Deutscher Kaiser, ten minutes by bus from the old town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. Heidelberg Castle (Schloss) From Kornmarkt, take a funicular 300 feet above the city and visit the vast remains of this enchanting castle. Around the year 1400, Prince Elector Ruprecht III first inhabited the castle and it remained a regal residence for nearly 400 years. Destroyed by lightening in 1764 and again in 1693 during the War of Palatine Succession, it was not reconstructed until 1800 by Count Charles de Gramberg.

Heidelberg Castle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Today, the castle ruins are among the most important renaissance structures north of the Alps. From the Great Terrace and the gardens, visitors are graced with a magnificent view of the city and the river below, as well as the vibrant green mountains across the way.

Heidelberg Schloss ruins: still beautiful after over 700 years

The castle houses the Heidelberg Tun, the world’s largest wine barrel. Built in 1751 by Prince Elector Karl Theodor to hold the wine paid as taxes by the wine producers of the Palatine, the barrel is seven meters high, eight and a half meters wide, and has a dance floor built on top of it.

For those interested in the history of German pharmacies, visit the German Pharmacy Museum located in the Otto Heinrich building of the schloss. Elegantly detailed apothecaries from the 17th to 19th centuries with their vials, herbs, scales and flasks have been put on display for all to admire.

 

The German Pharmacy Museum located inside the castle

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3.   The Philosopher’s Walk (Philosophenweg) Given it’s name because of the philosophers and professors from the nearby Heidelberg university that used to walk here for inspiration (and probably still do), this path is known to be one of the most scenic in all of Europe. Located across the river Neckar from the castle, this uphill trail is best taken in the late afternoon during warmer months after midday temperatures have fallen. The view of the town and the castle from the Philosopher’s garden is stunning. Here, plants such as cypress, lemon, cherry and bamboo trees thrive in a Mediterranean climate.

The relaxing Philosopher's Garden in full bloom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

4.   The Old Town (Altstadt) Extending for a mile between Bismarckplatz to the west and Karlstor to the east, this is the oldest part of Heidelberg. Filled with shops, restaurants, marketplaces and museums, the long pedestrian street Hauptstrasse takes you all the way through. Enjoy a stein of pilsner in Universityplatz, visit the Palatinate museum, pick up mouthwatering chocolates from Chocolate Company Heidelberg or a bottle of authentic Absinth from Alte Brennerei. For hearty German bratwurst, fresh pretzels and refreshing beer, head to Brauhaus Vetter. The two giant boilers with pipes connected to the tap tell you that this is a bona fide brewery.

Heidelberg beer in the old town

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  1. The River Neckar On a nice day you’ll see the lawn of the Neckarwiese (riverfront park) packed with sunbathers and picnickers from the Theodor Heuss bridge all the way to the Ernst Waltz bridge. For a pretty promenade, start from the Theodor Heuss bridge on the north bank and walk east along the river to the Old Bridge (Alte Brucke). Rowers glide by on the sparkling water, couples sit at boat cafes, and young families bike along the path. If you like bikes, this is your city. They are indeed everywhere. Cross the Old Bridge and you’re back in the Old Town, just in time for an ice cream.

 

Sunbathers along the River Neckar

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many say that Heidelberg is one of the most romantic cities in Europe. Wouldn’t you agree?

 

© 2012 Pasa’s Paris