Cucina Testa Rossa

God Bless Jean-Paul Hevin

Not since Priscilla Queen of the Desert have I seen a shoe that so completely captivated me. It wasn't red and sparkly but it was pure, satiny, lovely dark chocolate. Now here is a man after my own heart. The inimitable Jean-Paul Hevin has done it again. First with his chocolate covered cheese appetizers and now a PUMP! I'll take these over a pair of ruby slippers any day!

Last Monday my friend Marinella and I met in the southwest corner of Paris at the Paris Expo at Porte de Versailles to take on the chocolate world. I arrived a few minutes early, got in line for tickets, and was soon in an arguement with the couple behind me. Do you remember my rant about personal space? Or lack thereof in this country? Once again, I had a certain unwelcome custom thrust upon me as the couple behind me and their two darling (read: dreadful) children were literally pressed up against me in line.

Now there was certainly no need for this. There were two people in line in front of us, each one took about 30 seconds to buy a ticket, the Salon was open for another SIX hours and the following THREE days and there was plenty of chocolate to go around, enough actually to feed all of France and a few former colonies throw in for good measure. THREE times I turned around and said "s'il vous plait" or in other words, please do you mind? They would quickly apologize and mometarily step back but within a minute they were right back pressed up against me so obviously they did mind. Finally I whipped around and barked "GET OFF ME! WHY ARE YOU STANDING SO CLOSE? PLEASE MOVE BACK!" Not only did they not move, the husband told me that if I didn't want to be around people I shouldn't be at a Salon to which I replied I DON'T MIND BEING AROUND PEOPLE, I MIND PEOPLE PUSHING UP AGAINST ME IN LINE FOR NO REASON.

I won't bore you with further ranting but suffice to say it ended with a few profanities, a few glares flung with the toss of a head in both directions, and me stomping off cursing the entire French race not so subtlely under my breath. Luckily my friend Marinella arrived just then and whisked me away to my happy place filled with chocolate, chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate :) Click here to submerge yourself in a chocolate conundrum....

Poulet et Aubergines

Who knew this beautiful purple globe could be the cause of so much controversy? Male or female? Innie or outie? Since eggplant is feminine in French, as in la jolie aubergine, I assumed it was female however I was mistaken. Dismissed as folk lore and old wives tales, the eggplant is neither male nor female but is actually a member of the nightshade family which includes tomatoes, sweet peppers and potatoes and grows like tomatoes, hanging from the vines. It is often confused as a vegetable but it is actually a fruit - specifically a berry. Once again, who knew? Not this little cook, that's for sure. Click here to read more about this beloved berry....

Canard des Figues de Vendée

On a small farm on the west coast of France in a little town called Vendée a stone’s throw from the beach, a lone fig tree hung heavy with fruit. My flatmate Pierre spied these little purple ornaments and quickly filled up a bag just before hopping on a train headed for Paris. Click here to finagle a fig...

Les Fermiers de Place Monge

One of the more colorful characters at Place Monge market....

I've posted many times about my little Place Monge farmers market and the beautiful produce, artisanal cheeses and saucisson, farm fresh eggs straight from the nest and luscious foie gras but I've never introduced the farmers and cast of characters behind the tables who bring us all these delicacies every Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Today I toured Place Monge with a camera crew who is making a video of the various arrondisements of Paris and introduced some of the more gregarious personalities that make life around Place Monge so fun. Click here to take a virtual tour...

Pierre Hermé's Fall Fashion Line

Twice a year the magnificent patisserie Pierre Hermé introduces his new line of pastries, à la the House of Dior or Christian Lacroix. Just when you think he has done it all, Pierre Hermé creates semething even more spectacular that his last seasons' stunners. The Fall 06 - Winter 07 line just came out so off I dashed to the 6th arrondisement, 72 rue Bonaparte across from St. Sulpice Church and was greeted by a line out the door - a common site since opening day. Click here to go into a veritable sugar coma...

Menlo Park Farmer's Market

Much is written about the San Francisco Farmer's Market but nary a word about the humble little Menlo Park Farmer's Market. Held every Sunday in the parking lots between Santa Cruz Avenue and Menlo Avenue, this little market has grown in the past fifteen years from just a few stands with kettle corn, pomegranate juice and a smattering of produce to a vibrant, active organic market complete with political campaigning, 20 foot high buffaloes and protesting grannies. Click here to cruise the market.

Top Chef's Star Chef Lee Anne Wong

If you have spent the past year in a Tibetan monastery (or in France without a TV), you might not have heard of Bravo's Top Chef show. For the other four billion, you have no doubt been treated to some of the most delicious drama since JR got shot. I am the above guilty party in France sans television so when I received a flurry of emails about this Top Chef show, I had no idea what they were talking about. After more than a few of these such emails infiltrated my inbox I thought I'd best investigate. It took all of three seconds on Google to realize what all the excitement was about. In spite of her busy busy busy schedule, Lee Anne graciously agreed to an interview. Click here to hear from the Top Chef herself...

A Ferry Building Farmers Market Dinner

The Ferry Building and Farmers Market are the closest thing to crack while still being legal that I can imagine. I start shaking as soon as I swing open the huge glass doors and stare ahead at the culinary nirvana I've just entered. Whenever I come to town, the Ferry Building is at the top of the list, as it is when I have to cook a special dinner and last week was just such an occasion. Our friend Patty reached that fabulous milestone of cinquante (fifty - sounds much prettier in French) celebrating with a sixty mile bike ride and her youngest daughter was heading off to college the next day so celebrate we did with a Ferry Building dinner from appetizer to dessert. Click here for the dizzying array of farmers market delights.

Moulin de Mougins

the amuse-bouche de jour at Moulin de Mougins near Cannes

I first washed up on the shores of France almost two and a half years ago to cook at the Cannes Film Festival. It was the start of a six month tour cooking my way around the country. Six months turning into eight which turned into a year which has miraculously morphed into two and a half. Don't ask me how... The moral of this story - careful what you wish for! It might actually come true. Anyways, before we fired up our panini machines and hot plates (more on that another time), all the cooks in the group - about 24 of us - were treated to a whirlwind of excursions around Cannes and Nice. Our second day in Cannes began with a visit to Moulin de Mougins, a restaurant renowned throughout the continent. It was run for decades by the legendary chef Roger Vergé who maintained his 3-Michelin star rating the entire time. I believe he still owns it but has turned over his whisks to a French-trained and muy caliente Spaniard, Alain Llorca. Click here to feel the heat.

Fraises de Plougastel ~ Strawberries from Plougastel

strawberries from the Plougastel-Daoulas farmers market

With one week left in my stay in Brittany before moving to Paris, I hopped the town bus to Plougastel-Daoulas, the strawberry capital of Brittany, and France for that matter. We passed Ma Petite Folie (the lobster boat), La Plage du Moulin-Blanc (the beach of the white windmill - though no windmill to be found), and crossed the Pont d'Iroise (Iroise Bridge) to the Presqu'ile Plougastel (the Plougastel peninsula) which is known to be one of the most scenic in France with spectacular views.

This tiny peninsula is dotted with churches and... strawberry fields. I visited the Musee des Fraises (strawberry museum) and purchased a 4 euro (a little more than $5) box of strawberries, strawberry confiture, strawberry postcards and a strawberry t-shirt. I know, huge tourist. Everywhere you looked, strawberries abound. So when life hands you copious amounts of strawberries....make strawberry martinis, of course! Click here to shake, not stir, your way to this sweet strawberry spirit.