Hunt Chic Luncheon in Paris

Last October 24th, my dearest American friend in Paris, Frederic Benjamin West (named after his illustrious ancestor), organized a 30th birthday party for his friends and family at the Club de la Chasse et de la Nature in the Marais. It is a bonafide hunt club nestled inside a Mansart Hotel Particulier.

Frederic Benjamin West, Master of the Ceremony.

Champagne to celebrate your 30th year; Santé, dearest BenJ!

I unfortunately could not be there (Memo: I now live in Toronto), so I have decided to invite Benjamin to introduce us to his very unique birthday party: "I had 30 guests with a cocktail, sit down luncheon and afternoon drinks on a sunny Saturday. The attire was Hunt Chic and everyone went full out. Julien (Julien Leydis, stylist extraordinaire, who also designed my head piece for my wedding last September) designed some additional feather head pieces for the occasion. We had a photographer come to capture the moment."

Julien Leydis

The pheasant one is over the top, don't you think?

"The story behind the black hat is that it was originally made for Julien for his birthday party. It has since been passed about, including boat rides on the canal at Versailles, and thus found its way to the Hunt Party."

"Here is the menu for the party. Each table had a different theme with stuffed birds in the centerpiece to correspond: À Courre, Hallali, Renards Fouisseurs and Frayoir."

*Frayoir, Enluminure extraite du Livre de la Chasse par Gaston Phoebus

Note from the Emcee:

-Velouté de potiron (servi en salle a manger dans le légume par le chef)
-Fromages: Fourme d'Ambert, St Maure, St Marcellin, Cantal, Camembert accompagnés d'une salade.

Wines:

Château de Tracy, Pouilly Fume, 2007
Château Branaire Ducru, Saint Julien, 2003
Coudoulet de Beaucastel, Château Neuf du Pape, 2003

Frederic Benjamin West and his guests - what a chic luncheon party that was, my dear!
Thank you for sharing your feast with us.

Saumon à l'unilatérale...that will make you swoon!

Mon cher Coco,

Here is a recipe that I found on Food Box, a blog edited by Lili. Lili is a wonderful hostess who lives in Montmartre, Paris; and I love eating at her virtual table. Pay her a visit, you won't regret it!


I adapted Lili's version with the original one, taken from L'atelier des Chefs. My husband and I had a wonderful time preparing that saumon à l'unilatérale (cooked on one side only).

Lili's version suggests a few additions, like the honey with the caramelized shallots, or replacing the butter with olive oil to fry the potatoes, and adding some almonds while toasting the potatoes. We thought her tips were well worth taking into account, as they were adding some real delicate notes to the Chefs' recipe.

The video is a lot of fun to watch and follow: hope you will understand it alright. It is in French...
The chef is very focused and gives out every stage of the recipe in the minutest detail. You really cannot get it wrong!
Delicious, easy and quick to prepare.

For 2 Cocos

2 fillets of salmon(150 g each)
2 shallots
20 ml of balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
4-5 small potatoes
10 g flat-leaved parsley
2 handfuls of sliced almonds
1 clove of garlic
1 branch of thyme
1 bay leaf
salt, pepper and ground pink peppercorns
olive oil (3 tbsp)

We did not feel like white wine on that night, so we went for a light, fruity red Beaujolais. It was nice! But now I think we could also go for a Sauvignon Blanc, or an Alsatian Toquay Pinot Gris. Next time!

Mince the shallots thinly.

Heat the vinegar in a pan. Add the shallots, and bring to a boil so that it reduces significantly. Stir regularly and lower heat. Add the honey and salt at the end, once the shallots are caramelized + Add 1 tbsp of olive oil to turn it into a vinaigrette. Set aside.

Rinse and slice the potatoes thinly.
Cook for 5 min into salted water. Drain the potatoes.
Heat 1 tbsp of olive oil in a frying pan. Fry the potatoes for 5 min.
Add the almonds, and parsley at the end. Season to taste.

For the salmon preparation...
In another frying pan, pour 1 tbsp of olive oil, fry the salmon fillets only on one side, on their skin (technique called "à l'unilatérale"). Salt the fillets, and grill them for 5 min to toast the skin golden. Add the garlic, thyme and bay leaf. Cover with foil.
Cook for another 4-5 minutes.
Uncover and add the pepper.

Lay a bed of potatoes on each plate, on which you will place the salmon decorated with a line of shallots vinaigrette.

Miam-miam! We had a succulent dinner that night. We particularly loved the delicacy and crispiness of it all. Well, if you try it, let me know your impressions.;)

Bon appétit!

Au menu: Boeuf Bourguignon à la Julia Child!

Julia Child's Boeuf Bourguignon, according to Abhay & Co. Note the Beaujolais and the baguette to recreate the French touch!

Today I would like to introduce you to Abhay, a real food lover. A week ago, I received a very enthusiastic message of his saying:
"I'd love to share my experience of making boeuf bourguignon with you. Actually it was quite an experience. (...) Last night I tried making Julia Child's boeuf bourguignon recipe. It was very good. Me and my friend did it together. We served it with broccoli and roasted potatoes. I am attaching a very amateur pic I took of it (Abhay is very modest, as you can see)... I had never really cooked long and complicated recipes with anyone and it was so much fun. Not to mention the laughs we had since the recipe required very specific instructions by Ms.Child."
I couldn't be more pleased with his description of the experience! The making of Bourgogne's staple stew invites the cook(s) on quite a journey! See the décor they chose to lay their table: the Beaujolais and the baguette. They paid attention to every detail, as if they wanted to recreate the perfect setting to fully savour the stew, the French way. Nice!
In Burgundy, people are proud of their wine. Actually I guess that is a recurrent pattern all over France. It is no surprise then, if the boeuf bourguignon, this typically peasant, turned-haute-cuisine dish, involves the beef to be braised in red wine, traditionally red Burgundy...

I first met our guest, Abhay, a month ago, at Toronto's LG Fashion week. Marco and I were waiting for a show in the hall, when we saw two fashion photographer friends, an amazing pair of female twins: Lily & Lilac.

Abhay was with the girls. And as we were all gently chatting, he and I suddenly started a very animate conversation about seasonal soups, impromptu salads, tarts, stews and daubes...It was most unexpected in this fashion environment!

As a matter of fact, we realized he had never tried Julia Child's recipes. I warmly recommended the Boeuf Bourguignon, he said he would try it... And, that's what he did! Some people are just like that, reliable.
Now is your turn... Mind you, it makes a perfect Sunday meal to share with your loved ones. Have fun!
Oh, one last thing...As Abhay noted, Julia's style can be a bit confusing at first, but you'll quickly get used to it!
"The way Julia wrote her recipes was a bit different from what it is nowadays. She had little side notes of ingredients instead of a list before the start of the recipe.I found this very interesting, and actually it was kind of mysterious! But a lot of what she writes makes sense after you have finished making the recipe!

For example- She talks about doing the onions and mushrooms separately and then adding it to the bourguignon later on. I was intrigued since most north-American recipes usually ask you to put everything together. There were two advantages of doing Julia's way! First- you could actually taste mushrooms and white onions in their own flavor, which was refreshing on your dinner plate, and second, due to the water given out by mushrooms during cooking, the sauce was not diluted and maintained its flavor. I am always now going to cook mushrooms separately and then add them to the recipe!
We also found that the meat nowadays ( and not lean meat) doesn't have that much fat. Hence we had to add extra oil while browning the beef and the bacon. I found the usage of rind very interesting since some say the flavor resides of the bacon resides there!

Its certainly was an experience was the total time taken is usually longer since a lot of preparation has to be done. I suggest having another person helping out. Once again cooking with others is always the best way to go!"

Thank you so much, Abhay, for having shared this experience with us. You've been a wonderful guest at Mon Cher Coco!

And, now it is on to you, dear Julia...

Boeuf Bourguignon

(Beef Stew in Red Wine, with Bacon, Onions, and Mushrooms)

As is the case with most famous dishes, there are more ways than one to arrive at a good boeuf bourguignon. Carefully done, and perfectly flavored, it is certainly one of the most delicious beef dishes concocted by man, and can well be the main course for a buffet dinner. Fortunately you can prepare it completely ahead, even a day in advance, and it only gains in flavor when reheated.

Vegetable and Wine Suggestions
Boiled potatoes are traditionally served with this dish. Buttered noodles or steamed rice may be substituted. If you also wish a green vegetable, buttered peas would be your best choice. Serve with the beef a fairly full-bodied, young red wine, such as Beaujolais, Côtes du Rhône, Bordeaux-St. Émilion, or Burgundy.

Kitchen Supplies:

• 9- to 10-inch, fireproof casserole dish , 3 inches deep
• Slotted spoon
  
  Ingredients: Serves 6

• 6 ounces bacon
• 1 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil
• 3 pounds lean stewing beef , cut into 2-inch cubes
• 1 sliced carrot
• 1 sliced onion
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper
• 2 Tbsp. flour
• 3 cups full-bodied, young red wine , such as a Chianti
• 2 to 3 cups brown beef stock or canned beef bouillon
• 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
• 2 cloves mashed garlic
• 1/2 tsp. thyme
• Crumbled bay leaf
• Blanched bacon rind
• 18 to 24 small white onions , brown-braised in stock
• 1 pound quartered fresh mushrooms , sautéed in butter
• Parsley sprigs

.Remove rind from bacon, and cut bacon into lardons (sticks, 1/4 inch thick and 1 1/2 inches long). Simmer rind and bacon for 10 minutes in 1 1/2 quarts of water. Drain and dry.

.Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

.Sauté the bacon in the oil over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes to brown lightly. Remove to a side dish with a slotted spoon. Set casserole aside. Reheat until fat is almost smoking before you sauté the beef.

.Dry the stewing beef in paper towels; it will not brown if it is damp. Sauté it, a few pieces at a time, in the hot oil and bacon fat until nicely browned on all sides. Add it to the bacon.

.In the same fat, brown the sliced vegetables. Pour out the sautéing fat.

.Return the beef and bacon to the casserole and toss with the salt and pepper. Then sprinkle on the flour and toss again to coat the beef lightly with the flour. Set casserole uncovered in middle position of preheated oven for 4 minutes. Toss the meat and return to oven for 4 minutes more. (This browns the flour and covers the meat with a light crust.) Remove casserole, and turn oven down to 325 degrees.

.Stir in the wine, and enough stock or bouillon so that the meat is barely covered. Add the tomato paste, garlic, herbs, and bacon rind. Bring to simmer on top of the stove. Then cover the casserole and set in lower third of preheated oven. Regulate heat so liquid simmers
very slowly for 2 1/2 to 3 hours. The meat is done when a fork pierces it easily.

.While the beef is cooking, prepare the onions and mushrooms. Set them aside until needed.

.When the melt is tender, pour the contents of the casserole into a sieve set over a saucepan. Wash out the casserole and return the beef and bacon to it. Distribute the cooked onions and mushrooms over the meat.

.Skim fat off the sauce. Simmer sauce for a minute or two, skimming off additional fat as it rises. You should have about 2 1/2 cups of sauce thick enough to coat a spoon lightly. If too thin, boil it down rapidly. If too thick, mix in a few tablespoons of stock or canned bouillon. Taste carefully for seasoning. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables. Recipe may be completed in advance to this point.

For immediate serving: Covet the casserole and simmer for 2 to 3 minutes, basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce several times. Serve in its casserole, or arrange the stew on a platter surrounded with potatoes, noodles, or rice, and decorated with parsley.

For later serving: When cold, cover and refrigerate. About 15 to 20 minutes before serving, bring to the simmer, cover, and simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, occasionally basting the meat and vegetables with the sauce."

From Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck. Copyright © 1961, 1983, 2001 by Alfred A. Knopf. Reprinted by arrangement with the Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

Just before leaving you, mon cher Coco, just before you get boeuf-bourguignon ready, allow me to share this golden nugget with you.
I most particularly enjoy it at 2 min 10 sec, when Julia goes through Le Festin Joyeux ou la Cuisine en Musique, an innovative French 18th-century cookbook that gives recipes, based on musical tones and songs.

Brussels Sprouts...From Paris with Love!

Thierry and I, in front of Pei's Pyramid - the Louvre Museum, Paris, August 2008.

Mon cher Coco,

This new label Chez Coco & Co will feature some of my good friends' recipes. The first one invited aboard is Titi from Paris. Let me tell you briefly about my good friend, Thierry. I have known him since I was 19! In a nutshell, since college as we were both following English studies, at that time. There was a lapse of about 10 years in our relationship as he moved to Prague, and well, we lost touch. But one day as I was browsing my facebook, I thought of him and searched his name on the network. There he was. He's now back to my community of friends, and I am overjoyed! Thierry (a.k.a Titi) is the most Tati-esque person I have ever met. It is no surprise then if Jacques Tati is one of his favourite film directors... Thierry loves the 1960s and collects furniture, clocks, fabrics, posters, books, etc from that era.

He also is a talented art director and web designer who works for a Parisian advertising company. I definitely share a lot with Thierry. He is a true hedonistic Epicurian, like I am. Oh, and he is a great cook too. He has always loved cooking. The last time we visited him in Paris, he spoilt us with a precious homemade gift of his : a pear and lemon jam that was jaw-dropping and mind-blowing!
OK. So now I guess you can roughly picture out who my good friend Thierry, is. Well, recently, I received an invite from him and his partner Benoît, who happens to be an amazing baroque flutist, by the way. They just bought a house in the suburbs of Paris, and as they were throwing a swell party, they thought of us in Toronto! Obviously, we could only wish them all the best as Marco and I could not take a trip to Paris for the occasion. But the other day I received an email from him, and it felt as if we had attended the whole party! Thierry drew us an exhaustive list of the meals that they had concocted. And look how thoughtful I am, let's share the joy of the party together...I am going to give you the recipe of an unusual loaf.
Please, pardon my French! As I'm quoting him, there's going to be a bit of French involved here. Oh, come on, mon cher Coco, don't sulk like that! A bit of French cannot hurt you. On the contrary. Ah voilà, it's better- Step on it!

Brussels Sprouts, Caramelized Onions*, and Toasted Pine Nuts Loaf
-Cake au choux de Bruxelles, oignons caramélisés et pignons de pin-

Ah, Brussels sprouts, you either love them or you hate them...While many will bemoan the sudden appearance of the slightly pungent vegetable on the sides of their plates, there is more to the humble Brussels sprout than meets the eye. When cooked correctly, not only does the sprout have exceptional nutritional value, three times the vitamin C than the same weight of oranges, it also is more versatile to cook with than one might think. So here is the recipe for Titi's loaf. You can use it to taste, and add all the ingredients you particularly love, or those that suit what is left in your fridge...Lucky you!

Préparation : 15 min
Cuisson : 45-50 min à 200°C (400°F)

Ingrédients (pour 6 personnes) :
- 150- 200 g de farine/ flour
- 3 oeufs / eggs
- 1 gros oignon (environ 200 g)/1 big onion
- 200 g de Choux de Bruxelles, cuits à la vapeur et coupés en 4/ Brussels sprouts, steamed and cut in 4
- 100 g de gruyère râpé /grated cheese ( I used crumbs of blue cheese and parmesan).
My tip: Here you can substitute ham, chorizo, etc. for cheese, or combine them all...
- 25 g de pignons de pin (les faire griller avec oignons et choux)/ pine nuts (toasted with onions and sprouts)
- 4 cuillères à soupe d'huile d'olive / 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 1/2 verres de vin blanc sec / dry white wine (or 150 g plain yogurt or 1 cup of milk or half-half cream)
- 1 sachet de levure chimique/ 1 1/2 to 2 tbsp baking powder

* How to caramelize onions:

1. Heat butter or combination of butter and oil in heavy skillet.
2. Add onions and a small amount of sugar (optional) and slowly cook over medium heat.
3. Cook until onions are caramel colored, stirring often, 30 to 40 minutes.
4. For more flavor, add a touch of vinegar at the end of cooking, stirring to deglaze the pan.

I tried it, and it was a success! I baked the loaf, and let it cool down for a night. I served it the next day for lunch as a cold dish, with a baby spinach salad, and a side of small cut tomatoes puréed, enhanced with onions, celery and green peppers. It was miam-miam!
Variations; I made another one, where I added to the sprouts and caramelized onions, some piquante salami, sundried tomatoes, chestnus (instead of pine nuts) and a full bunch of fresh parsley. Again, Delicioso!

. Faire revenir les choux dans une poêle tout doucement avec les oignons caramélisés. Bien laisser refroidir. Puis, intégrer les choux + oignons dans la préparation. / Gently sizzle the Brussel sprouts in a skillet with the onions on low heat, and add them to the mix when cooled down.)

. Mélanger les choux, les oignons caramélisés, les pignons, le gruyère, les oeufs, l'huile, le vin blanc.

. Incorporer ensuite la farine mélangée à la levure chimique.

. Placer le mélange dans un moule à cake beurré, et cuire 45-50 min dans un four préchauffé à 200°C (400*F).

Wine suggestion: Here are the wines Titi & Benoît offered to their guests : St Nicolas de Bourgueil, 1996 (mind-blowing!), and a Vacqueyras 2004.

Benoît (left) & Thierry (right) in Paris, August 2008.

More Brussels Sprouts?
While investigating the Brussels sprouts case, I also found the recipe for the following loaf with sprouts, ham and hazelnuts. You should try this one along with Titi's, both loafs will please your guests, and win their hearts over to the Brussels sprouts' cause forever. Splendid!
Brussels sprouts 200g (steam them but not too long, they must remain firm)
flour 150g
toasted hazelnuts 70g
ham or prosciutto 4 thin slices
eggs 3
grated parmesan 50g
olive oil 4 tbsp
seed style mustard 1tbsp
baking powder 1 tbsp
salt & pepper

Whisk the eggs with the oil. Add the flour, the baking powder and the Brussel sprouts, steamed and cut in 4, the thinly sliced ham, and the hazelnuts, coarsely crushed. Mix well, add the parmesan, mustard and season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture in a loaf pan and bake for 45 min at 375*F (180*C).

Vive les choux de Bruxelles!