Tag: Food

La Cuisine Paris

On By ChérineIn Cooking, France, Paris, TravelLeave a comment

On a cold February morning, I walked along the quays of the Seine to Marché Maubert to meet my class mates and the chef from La Cuisine Paris.

I had planned a mini vacation in Paris and was looking forward to taking a cooking class to enhance my culinary arts skills. I found La Cuisine Paris on Instagram. Located at 80 Quai de l’Hôtel de ville in the 4th arrondissement, the school offers culinary and baking classes in English.

The Marché Maubert is comprised of 45 stalls offering fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry (did you know that in France, rabbit is considered poultry?), fish, cheeses and many more.

Our group walked around the market, led by Chef Justin, looking at the various offerings and planning our menu.

We settled on seasonal ingredients: radishes, “potimarron” (a cross between a pumpkin and a squash), rabbit and for dessert an almond tart. And of course some cheese and bread to start out french culinary experience. On the way back to the school, we stopped for baguettes at a “boulangerie” who had been awarded the “Meilleur Ouvrier de France”, a prestigious honour for the best craftsman in various categories.

Back in the kitchen, we set to searing the rabbit before braising it in a mustard sauce.        I had never thought to glaze radishes, but we did and they were sweet and still had bite. The potimarron was puréed with cream and butter. The delectable aroma of the baking almond tarts filled the kitchen. I could not wait to savour what was to come.

As we sat down to lunch with a view on the Seine, the sun came out.

La Cuisine Paris is a must for the home or amateur chef who is looking to delve into french cuisine classics. Check them out if you are in Paris next.

La Cuisine Paris     80 Quai de l’Hôtel de ville, 75004 Paris, France.

 

Is a restaurant responsible for their patrons’ enjoyment and comfort?

On By ChérineIn Restaurants, TorontoLeave a comment

A couple of weeks ago, I visited Cava, a tapas restaurant in Toronto, as it was highly recommended.

Menu

Two legs of jamon Iberico greet you as you enter, a hint of what is to come. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming.  The wood paneled walls and wood tables give it a modern yet rustic feel.

Cava offers a wide selection of small plates incorporating sustainable ingredients.  We shared a number of plates however the following 3 were my favourites.

Supergilda: a sardine placed on toasted bread with roasted tomatoes and speared with an anchovy and olive toothpick.

Supergilda2

Charred rapini with queso fresco con miel, olive, and za’atar: the bitterness of the rapini was well balanced with the sweetness of the fresh cheese infused with honey. The sesame in the za’atar brought a crunch to the mix.

Queso Fesco

Chicken liver and foie gras mousse with house-made bread: the mousse was creamy and lingered on the tongue.

Duck Mousse

We also ordered a full portion of the Iberico ham, only to be disappointed by the meagerness of it. It was not worth the $30 it was priced at.

We paid approximately $140 for 2 people which did not include drinks or tip, an expensive culinary experience.

The service was attentive, however I was disappointed to see that the wait staff made no attempt to remedy an uncomfortable situation for my dinning companion. Half way through our dinner, a couple was seated at the next table, which I must say was too close for comfort. The gentleman, and I use this term loosely, decided to sit on the bench with his partner not taking into consideration that this would infringe on my friend’s personal space. She was practically forced to climb the wall on her other side to avoid coming in contact with this inconsiderate dinner. It was apparent to myself, the waiter and the other patron that she was quite uncomfortable, yet our waiter did not address the situation.

Having been forced to finish our meal, hurriedly, and skipping dessert, we left the restaurant disappointed at the experience.

Although the restaurant offers a pretty setting and the food is gratifying, the lack of attention to the comfort of the patrons and the elevated cost of the fare would make me think twice about returning to Cava.

Cava  –  1560 Yonge St, Toronto, ON M4T 2S9  –  cavarestaurant.ca

Le Coq Rico, my new Paris favourite

On By ChérineIn France, Paris, Restaurants, TravelLeave a comment

Almost 5 months have passed since I was in Paris last, yet I remember my Sunday lunch with friends at Le Coq Rico in Montmartre with relish.

Le Coq Rico is Antoine Westermann’s brainchild. One look at the menu, if the name has not already given it away, and you realize that the principal player is poultry.

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We delved in and chose 3 starters that would allow us to taste a little bit of everything;

The “Eggz”, a soft boiled egg in a crispy nest. Soft boiled eggs, being my least favourite food item, I stayed away from tasting the dish. My friend though, devoured it. I suspect that it was quite enjoyable based on the smile on his lips.

The buttery duck livers covered in sesame seeds were well balanced by the sourness of the sautéed cherries.

The duck rillettes (a sort of pâté made with shredded duck) served with toasted baguette and pickles were by far my favourite. I could have had seconds.

 

For our main, we selected the whole duck, served with a choice of accompaniments: salad, the ever popular french fries or vegetables fricassée. In an attempt to make healthy,  nutritious choices, we balanced our french fry order with vegetables and salad.

 

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A truly succulent meal with absolutely no regrets.

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And if there are any doubts that we savoured each piece of confit or roasted duck, there should be none. We practically licked the plate clean.

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Le Coq Rico  –  98 Rue Lepic, 75018 Paris  –  http://en.lecoqrico.com/index