Of Feathers and Chicks in the Kitchen!

Alejandra Garcia-Paton whisking the eggs! Or the vision of a bird of Paradise twittering in the kitchen. Photo by Cédric Roulliat

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"The story behind the black hat is that it was originally made for Julien for his birthday party.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.

A Man's Recipe

Last night, my husband was on the grill! He put his apron on and started preparing the fish we had just bought. He opened our Cook with Jamie's cookbook, flipped through the pages knowing where to go, and finally displayed it on the book stand, opened at Granddad Ken's crispy grilled trout, with parsley and lemon (on page 242).

Here is a simple and very tasty recipe. Entre nous, we hope you will enjoy this man's recipe as much as we do, and share it with your loved ones (male and female)!

Granddad Ken's crispy grilled trout, with parsley and lemon (by Jamie Oliver)

Ingredients: (serves 2)
2 101/2oz whole trout, scaled and gutted (we had 1 big trout for 2, and it was plenty!)
Olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
A large bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley (we used some curly leaf parsley, as there was no flat leaf at the shop yesterday, but I prefer it with flat leaf parsley), leaves picked and chopped
2 lemons, 1 zested and sliced, 1 halved
A few knobs of butter

Preheat your broiler to full whack. Slash each torut with a knife, about ten times on each side. Each slash should be about 1/4 inch deep. Rub the trout with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavities with plenty of chopped parsley and the lemon slices. Place the fish side by side on a baking rack over a roasting pan.

Put the lemon zest on top of the fish and place the lemon halves on the tray too. Dot the trout with the butter and place it 6 inches (20cm) from the heat. Cook for around 6 minutes on each side until crispy golden.

Squeeze the roasted lemon over the top of the fish and serve with a simple crunchy side salad.

Suggestions: We served it on a bed of freshly steamed asparagus, with a side of mesclun (spring mix salad).

Thank you, Jamie. Thank you, Granddad Ken. Thank you, Marco.

Our Big Night with Timpano!

Daniel and his big baby, aka Il Primo TIMPANO!

Our hosts revelling in an impromptu kitchen dance party!

We did it!
Last Saturday, Feb 20th, Tess & Daniel decked their kitchen with high-flying colours (yellow and white) and invited us to sit at a beautiful table to share the joy. We were to have our Big Night (read related post on my other blog) among friends, making our first timpano. A timpano is like a large drum of Italian deliciousness. Try it with this timpano recipe from Mario Batali, or with that one.
Si, vero. Our Movie Menu Theme Night, based on Big Night, proved to be incredibile!

Photo taken by Shayne Gray

To learn more about our Timpano night, pay a visit to Cristy's blog, Holyhandbag! She wrote an article about the night with all the mouth-watering details, and savoury pictures.

Now is your turn...
I'd love to hear how your Big Night theme party turns out!

Mardi Gras : Carnaval and Bugne Time!

Bugnes at Pâtisserie La Marquise, St Jean district, Vieux Lyon.
(Photos: Lucy's Kitchen Notebook)

Today is Mardi Gras! In France, I used to celebrate 'carnaval' by eating delicious 'bugnes', while Mardi Gras maskers, traditionally children, would gleefully hop up and down the streets.

Traditional animal (lion) mask for children

Tradition has it that during the month of February, and especially during the French Carnival period, you'll find that the bugne Lyonnaise is kind of a fetish in Lyon and area. Yo me, it instantly evokes a vast array of tastes and laughters; unique moments shared with my grandmother, mother and sister in the kitchen while preparing the bugnes at home once a year before Lent.

Vieux Lyon, Rue Juiverie & Place du Change

Bugnes have been sold in shops in Lyon since as early as the 16th century, with local records describing their crisp delectable texture. Indeed the bugne historically associated with Lyon is flat, rectangular and fried crisp, but both the flat and leavened kinds are common now. Bugnes come in all shapes and sizes nowadays. In Lyon and area, this is a treat traditionally served only on Mardi Gras, but like many of the festival foods, the season has extended over time. You start to see them around the end of January and the boulangeries and charcuteries normally stop making them sometime in the middle of March.

If you're celebrating Mardi Gras, enjoy your feast today, because tomorrow shall see you fast!