Discussions

Just to bring some light-hearted and very personal information to the discussions.  Truffles are around.  Obviously and from hereon in, these are my views and I guard them, jealously.  A friend stayed the night, recently; he lives in the Périgord and he brought with him, just over 3 kilos of black truffles.  The truffles had been harvested (for want of a better word) the same morning.  Now, maybe others of you have seen 3kg of truffles in one box, but I, as a chef, have not.  Unfortunately, the truffles were to leave with him in the morning, as nearly all of them were for a client of his.  However, enough were left for us to have the most wonderful breakfast of "Oeufs Brouillés aux Truffes".  The eggs were cooked to perfection, soft and buttery (not rubbery and over-cooked, as is so often the case, especially in the U.K.) and the truffles were, both, grated into the eggs and finely sliced over the eggs.  Heaven!  I have always said that there are luxuries that I can live with and luxuries that I cannot live without.  Truffles are in the latter category.Sorry, I was having a moment :-)

There's a new fish and chip shop that has opened at 39 rue des Vinaigriers in the 10th arr. The address seems to be quite appropriate - the street of the vineger-makers. The Sunken Chip - www.thesunkenchip.com 

This Thursday

My wife is having trouble locating glazed cherries in Paris. We have tried local supermarkets, and  finally found raisins, currants and sultanas, but cherries seem to be impossible to find. Nothing in M&S neither.  My next port of call is Leclerc, but I don't hold out much hope.  Anybody have any ideas? 

What's the best wine for under 10 euros in your opinion...???

On a Sunday, homemade of course, what does everybody else have...?????

Is there anywhere in Paris where one can go to see how donuts are made. My friends kid is fascinated by the world of donuts (he will probably have a seizure when he visits dunkin donuts in NYC) . Id like to take this kid to see donuts being made -- somewhere in Paris.

Dear Paris folk, I need to take my new boss out for dinner next week in Paris. I need a restaurant that has exceptional food and a great buzz, without tourists. The closer to St Germain, the better. Any suggestions?   Thanks, G

Anyone know the best targets for around paris for people interested in british groceries with a delivery service,looking to target the areas with many brits living in paris or ile de france

Happy New Year to one and all - I love making these and giving them away at this time of the year.You need: two lots of puff pastry (good, bought is fine); 150g soft butter; 150g icing sugar; 150g ground almonds; two large eggs; one large egg yolk; 1 Tbs of dark rum.You do: Heat overnto 108°C; mix butter and icing sugar to a cream; add ground almonds, eggs and egg yolk and rum.Place one disc of pastry on a baking tray; spoon almond cream onto the pastry and smooth out; leave a border all around. Hide the fève (you can buy these from your local bakery if you ask nicely :) and cover with the second disc of pastry. Press the edges to seal and score with a knife. Score the top of the galette with a semi-circular movement with the back of a knife to make it look pretty. Put into the fridge for at least 10 minutes to set.Bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown. Serve with cider or champagne. (Coffee or tea will also do)The lucky person that finds the fève is king or queen for the day!

hi all, My husband and I are baptizing our son in Paris in December and have 4 adults joining us. Although the baptism will be held on a Sunday, we would like to organize a dinner for our family on Saturday night, as most of us will need to catch a train back to Geneva on Sunday afternoon. I was wondering if someone could suggest a nice, centrally located restaurant with good food/reasonable prices where we might enjoy a family meal together?  As of now, we have not booked a hotel, although we will try to find something centrally located in Paris. Thanks in advance!

Hi, Previously was in Paris a number of years ago and bought some Asian style (could be Vietnamese or just Fusion) in a small shop in teh centre of teh city. Have been unable to find such since. Can anyone help? regards   John

I'm looking for a caterer to do lunch and daytime snacks for a group of 13 on 6 and 7 November. We have an event at the Espace Plus racetrack in Marcoussis and are looking for someone to bring us a hot lunch (ideally) or a cold platter plus a few snacks at 1pm both days. We can offer 12€ per head per day for hot lunch, a bit less for cold platter.

Wehre to book (if possible) a Thanksgiving bash in Paris?

Hi everyone, Does anyone know or can recommend a good a baker who makes Piece Montee for Weddings in the centre of Paris? Many thanks,   Paul  

Hi everyone, I'm looking to hold a family celebration in the centre of Paris later this year. It will be for around 40 to 50 people. Can anybody recommend any restuarants with a private room it would be worth looking at? Many thanks for any help, Peter  

Hi everyone, My husband, 2 young children, and I moved to Paris about 16 months ago.  We live in the 16th, both speak good French, the girls are in French schools, and we are enjoying it.  The one thing we are struggling with though is getting healthy meals on the table during the week.  So we are trying to find a creative solution--we are looking for a person / chef / service that would deliver about 4 meals per week (for 2 adults, 2 children, fish okay, possibly chicken, but otherwise no meat).    Would you have any recommendations or ideas?   Thanks, Ashley

I want to make brisket/pot roast.  At the butcher, what cut of meat do I ask for?  This recipe also asks for chili sauce which I can buy in the USA next to ketchup. What is the closest thing to this at Carrefore?

I have vegetarians coming to stay and they really like "Quorn" products.  Does anyone know if they are available in France and, if so, where they can be bought. Many thanks.

If you are looking for a HIGHLY original cake check out this wb site www.oohlalacakedesign.com/eccentric cakes   Incredible!