John Talbott's Paris

Clotilde Dusouliers new book Tasting Paris is a delight

Clotilde Dusoulier new book is entitled Tasting Paris, Clarkson Potter Publishers NY 2018 and follows her first of 4 books, the smashing Chocolate and Zucchini which had the winning combination of products, recipes, tidbits about Paris and so forth.

Tasting Paris is but 256 pages long but packs an enormous amount of information, both practical (products, 100 recipes, and addresses) and ethereal (luscious photos of both food and sights).  I should disclose that we’re friends, having broken bread before she found more interesting co-diners in her kids.

For me what makes her books different from either recipe books or guide books is that she sets the recipes in their geographical and time contexts (from coffee at breakfast to onion soup late in the Halles day.)   I have not tested any of the recipes but from prior ones, know she is meticulous and “gets it right.”

While good for the citizen, ex-pat or frequent visitor, I suspect the book will most hit the spot for the lover of Paris and French cooking forced to sit home and conjure up memories, remembering that  they’ll “always have Paris”.

A P.S. from Clotilde notes that " there is a bonus for people who pre-order the book: it’s an audio walking tour that I recorded around the market streets of Montmartre, and they can claim it here with their pre-order receipt: https://app.snapapp.com/TastingParis".

Arnsbourg: A restaurant, a book and a trip.

It's been 6 or 7 years since we've been to the area, but tonite I read Sophie Brissaud's book on Jean-Georges Klein's joint in Arnsbourg (the book is called l'Alchemie des Elements, the hotel, Hotel K, a Relais et Ch.) prices not ruinous; 53 minutes from Strasbourg, website in English is http://www.arnsbourg.com/english/index.htm
and I was blown away.  The guy spent one week with Adria and like everyone who's done that, most of whom settled around Gerona & Perpignon, he absorbed a bit but was not taken in by the show (if I read him right.)  Beautiful recipes, beautiful text, beautiful pictures.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay; shockingly bad but totally compelling.

Like movies that are so bad they're good, Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay, St Martin's Griffin, NY 2007 is a frustrating experience. 

Based on one of France's most shameful episodes, which quite simply stripped the varnish off their long and deep streak of Antisemitism, the deportation, separation and slaughter of innocent French citizens, men, women and children, in 1942, who just happened to be Jewish, Ms. de Rosnay lurches between telling an exciting mystery story and (bear with this run on sentence) providing boring after boring page of rather meaningless descriptions of the heroine's sappy husband, the worst of French men and women's cultural prejudices and deathly slow descriptions of incredibly banal events. 

According to news reports, the manuscript was turned down by almost two dozen publishing houses, and one can see why, before the hapless d'Ormesson/Cohen-Solal team took her on.  They had gold in their hands - a horrible still-hidden and to-this-day-denied event, a suspenseful plot and interesting characters, but they forgot one thing; a good book needs a good editor.

Food Guides 2010 - 1- The Gault-Millau

Food Guides 2010 -1- The Gault-Millau

Yesterday the Gault-Millau went on sale and on its cover promises 2000 tables less than 30 € (and there are probably are that many but there’s no index or symbol for them).

Chef of the Year is/was William Ledeuil of Ze Kitchen Galerie and Kitchen Galerie Bis.

There were also six greats of tomorrow named; in Paris it was Adeline Grattard of Yam'Tcha ; also 22 young talents (under 32 years): none in Paris.

Of the 5 chef toques (no more numbers remember) in Paris were/are: Yannick Alleno (Le Meurice), Pascal Barbot (l'Astrance), Alain Ducasse & his chef Christophe Moret (Plaza Athénée), Pierre Gagnaire, Alain Passard (l'Arpège) and Guy Savoy.