Mustard Chicken a la Francaise

Back to Brooklyn and back to cooking.

Last night I took on my Dad’s classic mustard chicken recipe. This was a big deal on many levels. First of all, it’s my dad’s recipe. He was French and a chef so what limited recipes he wrote down are pretty fucking stellar. And if I’m really taking on this cooking thing, I gotta do the man proud and attempt to do some of his dishes. Secondly, it’s chicken which for whatever reason intimidates  me as I’m terrified of undercooking it. And thirdly, it involved a sauce. A very French, very heavy, very easy to fuck up sauce.

But amazingly I didn’t fuck it up. Hooray!

The photo above is the mustard chicken my Mom made for me when I was home so I could see how it was done. It seemed rather simple all things considered so I thought best to make it as soon as possible upon my return so I don’t lose my motivation. Gotta push past that stupid fear! Right? So last night despite being exhausted and despite having to do a mountain of dishes I rallied and gave it a go.

The ingredients – surprisingly basic. Leave it to the French to know how to make something so good with just the essentials.

Making the sauce. Holy shit – I made sauce!

Cooking the chicken in the sauce. Nice golden brown, no?

et voila – the finished dish! Not too shabby…

Look at me making something substantial!

Things I learned from cooking this dish:

1. Cooking chicken takes forever and getting a piece of chicken perfectly cooked is hard. I managed to not undercook it, and some parts of the breast were perfect, while one other part was pretty dry. So it’s tricky. Must practice.

2. Cooking sauce is actually not that hard. And by that I mean if you have a palette and know what something should taste like, it’s just a matter of tasting as you go and adding what you think it needs. Time to experiment more.

3. Adding cognac to a dish is fun…but I’m not fancy enough for the flames yet…perhaps in time.

So mission accomplished. I have finally made something my Dad used to make and it turned out really well for my first try. Hopefully with enough practice it can be one of my auto pilot dishes. Either way, it’s a perfect staple to have on my list of things to make given that fall is coming. Nothing better than a nice thick sauce to warm you up in cold weather.

For now, I’m not publishing the recipe, mainly cause I didn’t write it down. Once I’ve perfected my own version I’ll put it up.

Next big French undertaking – sole meuniere tonight…we shall see. And I’ve got my eyes set on this steak frites recipe straight out of Paris.

Go big or go home right?

Weekly Roundup – Cooking, Cooking and More Cooking!

Another week – another roundup!

The biggest thing to report on – my progress in cooking. Believe it or not my commitment to learning how to cook has lasted longer than two days. It has in fact lasted one whole week and counting. Tonight will be my first night of take out since last Thursday. That, my friends, is nothing short of a miracle. And sheer will power to spend less money and eat healthier.

Once Erik came home from Atlanta on Tuesday I made him the pasta dishes I had “perfected” over the past few days and he was quite pleased with both and they have been approved as regular things to have in rotation for dinner chez nous. I also tried my hand at scallops (!) and a vegetable quinoa salad and, I must say, for my first try and cooking scallops  - or any fish really – I managed to do quite well! And by that I mean they didn’t taste fishy (thank you copious amounts of butter), they weren’t overcooked, and they weren’t raw in the middle when I finally took them out of the pan. Yay. Me.

Here’s proof I actually made them – Scallops with Quinoa Vegetable Salad:

healthy, delicious, and I MADE IT!

The other new dish I made this week was a team effort with Erik. I took on a warm corn and potato salad which demanded quite a bit of prep and Erik cooked the steaks. Voici my prep work:

prep work done by me (cocktail included of course)

The salad recipe (taken from Food and Wine) required quite a bit of chopping and serious attention paid while it cooked on the stove. Look how pretty:

the warm corn and potato salad (minus a few ingredients that are added after it’s all cooked)

This was the most detailed recipe I’ve taken on yet so it was nice to have Erik to answer all my stupid questions and keep all the timing right. It turned out quite nicely and we were very proud of our ability to cook together as it has never been done before. EVER. Here is the finished dinner:

Not the best pic given the lighting but it was delicious!

Not too shabby, huh? Pair that dish with La Crema pinot noir and I can promise that all will enjoy!

I have to say, I’m still in a state of shock that I’ve managed to keep up my motivation but it feels good. We’re doing take out tonight due to work schedules and general convenience but tomorrow we’re taking on pepper steak! That’s right. And not just any pepper steak, supposedly the best pepper steak recipe in Paris. When I was living in Paris last summer, I heard over and over about how I had to go get the steak frites at Bistro Paul Bert. Somehow I never managed to get a reservation or wander in on an evening when there was actually an available table, so sadly I never got to taste it. But, thankfully, Paris Kitchen posted the recipe and we’re going to try it out tomorrow night….this one might be more Erik than me cooking but I’ll still be helping as much as possible. So stay tuned for an update on how that all goes. This is what it’s supposed to look like:

Photo from The Paris Kitchen

But we’ll see how we do…

In other news, our landlord hasn’t sent us our new lease yet. I’d be worried if I didn’t already know him and his level of laziness, but I still want a piece of paper confirming that we have that garden apartment.

In family news, my sister and brother in law who have been living in Prague the past few years are finally coming home to the States! They’ll be moving to Atlanta where Erik already has family so we are quite excited. Thanksgiving this year should be even more fun than usual!

In sort of work related news, I’m considering getting an M.A. in International Relations from NYU. There’s a possibility that with Erik’s benefits I can get the degree for free, and if that’s the case, I think it would be worth applying and seeing if I can get in for the Fall of 2013. The  majority of the classes are available after 6pm so it wouldn’t cause any issues with work, and it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have that degree given my interest in pursuing a career in diplomacy. An M.A. in French Studies and an M.A. in International Relations would certainly only sell me more when applying for any kind of job focused on French and American international relations…so why not? I mean, if it’s free, it’s really too good an opportunity to turn down…non? Regardless, I am looking into it and seeing what can be accomplished. Fingers crossed I can get the answers I want after talking to the folks at NYU.

In truly random news, I found a Weber grill on the sidewalk being thrown away by a neighbor who apparently didn’t need it anymore. So we grabbed it for our new backyard. It’s now living in our kitchen area jammed in with everything else till we move downstairs.

Also random but awesome, I am officially going back to water aerobics this weekend – yay for old lady exercise!

And if we’re talking about the weekend, my plans also include going to Chelsea Triangle French Market to see what kind of French ingredients they have to offer, and if we can finally find French bread on par with our old Berkeley bakery La Farine. I’m also going so I can write about it for my new column for an online Francophile magazine called Ma Vie Francaise (or My French Life). I’ll be contributing one column per month on the best of France and all things French in NYC. Should be fun and it will keep me in touch and in the loop on all things French in the city. Most importantly, it will give me an excuse to go eat French food so I can tell everyone where they should be eating. A girl’s gotta have priorities.

Whew! So there you have it – another week of surviving New York City and all its craziness.

Bon week-end!

The Redemption of Madrid – By Way of Tapas

In a small stopover before heading to France I returned to Madrid for a one night stay and an attempt to allow the city to redeem itself in my eyes. My two days there had been all work and no play, staying in not so sexy accommodations, and being too tired to go out post meetings and really experience the city. I met some incredibly wonderful people and walked the length of the city seeing all it’s wonderful sights, but sadly had no real time to actually enjoy it. Too much running around, networking, and general jetlag prohibited me from even eating a meal that wasn’t a store bought sandwich or ready made salad.

Sinful, I know.

So I returned for one day/night and committed to being a tourist and seeing what this lovely city was really all about. And I can safely say that Madrid has redeemed itself, quite beautifully, by way of tapas, and I have the pictures to prove it.

Because that’s all I do when I’m being a tourist, I take pictures of my food.

I feel it is important to note before showing said pictures that I am aware that there is absolutely nothing sly about taking pictures of your food. You try to be discreet, you try to wait for the waiter to walk away, for the other patrons to be so engrossed in their conversation and their overblown hand gestures that they couldn’t possibly notice you photographing your sandwich. But they always do. The click of the camera always echoes across the room and when you put the camera down everyone is watching you, not sure what to make of the person who takes pictures of what to them is so stupidly normal.

But that’s what I actually loved about the Madrid people. Every time someone caught me taking a picture of my food I was met with either lovable laughter, agreeable mumbles of love for the food, or I was given something for free to try!

They, like me, agreed on one thing – the food of a city is representative of the city itself, perhaps even more so than its most famous monuments. The food holds the real energy to the people’s hearts and will undoubedtly help you better understand who they are and why they live there. And it is what always, always makes me want to come back.

Here are some of my official tourist photos along with my tapas/food porn:

Plaza de Colon

view from my lunch spot

first glass of wine, second glass was comped - love you too Madrid!

the spanish version of the amuse bouche. There was salmon and spices and mayo and mustard and all around goodness

This tapa changed my life. Iberian ham, tomato relish, on bread and smothered in olive oil. I was literally licking my fingers after every bite and muttering my thanks to God.

mmmm shrimp - in the most amazing broth/sauce EVER.

No, really. LOOK AT IT! It's nothing but butter, garlic, herbs, and olive oil. And it's all bubbly and warm and perfect...SO GOOD.

In case you're wondering, this is what happiness looks like. Amazing, amazing food.

yes, we're back to the sauce. Look at it. Do you know how much bread I used to soak all that up? Do you know how much cellulite I now have because of it? Do you know how much I don't care?

the palace

gorgeous cathedral

what can only be described as the most beautiful and magical little bookstore

So there you have it. Madrid’s redemption by way of food and friendly people, both of which will no doubt bring me back.

I will however still maintain that as far as cities go, it’s not my absolute favorite. London and Lyon have control of my heart, New York will always seduce me with her unapologetic and invigorating energy, and the beauty of Paris always overwhelms me in a way that I have no real words to describe. So Madrid has stiff competition in my eyes, but at least she’s now on the list, and I can’t wait to come back and see what else she can offer me in the future.

Next up – a week in Annecy! French lessons, cooking class (!), a visit to Chambery, and an attempt to get my money back from a French bank. This should be interesting…

France and All Its Points of View

I found these maps of France today from the point of view of various people and nationalities and I had to steal them and post them here because they’re hilarious if you are familiar with France and love it and all its regions. I especially enjoy the map of France from the point of view of Americans who watch FOX news. Here are my favorites:

France viewed by the non cultured English

France viewed by the cultured English

France as viewed by the non cultured and ignorant Americans (ie FOX News watchers)

France as viewed by the cultured Americans

France as viewed by a Parisian

You can view all of them here if you’re curious. Happy Friday!

My Favorite Travel Memory of 2011

With the end of the year approaching everyone is reflecting on 2011 – best dinners, best moments, best trips, and my favorite of all categories – best travel memory.

Somehow this year I was able to fit in a substantial amount of travel for someone with no money. All I have to say is thank God for amazing family members and a job in travel and tourism. This year I managed to travel to Montreal, Quebec City, Niagara Falls, London, Brighton, Geneva, Prague (thanks big sister), Paris (thanks Mom), Rouen, Lyon, Nice, Antibes, Aix, Avignon, Vichy, and Brest. It’s exhausting just looking at the list but every trip, however short, was worth it and definitely made my year.

Given all these lovely locations you’d think it would be hard to come up with a favorite travel memory but mine was actually quite obvious and quite simple:

light lunch in Aix en Provence

This picture was taken after a day of work in Aix. After schmoozing with our partners and talking to French language students I found myself finally alone at 4pm having not eaten anything all day and I wandered to a perfect little cafe in a perfectly hidden corner of Aix, and sat down and nursed the best glass of sauvignon blanc and ate the tastiest and simplest strawberry tart. It was a quintessential south of France moment and exactly what I needed in more ways than one. It just goes to prove that it’s the simple things in life that make us the happiest. And no matter how much I sometimes to try to escape it, the pace of life in France and moments like this picture make me truly happy.

And on that note, it looks like I’ll actually be going back to France for a week in March. The work trip to Portugal has now become a work trip to France. The whole point of the trip is to “experience” one of the travel products we offer and I hate to be biased and completely predictable, but the products we offer in France are much sexier to me than the ones we offer in Portugal. Specifically the one in Vichy that offers French lessons in the morning and two spa treatments each afternoon. If I get the green light for that one I’ll not only get to brush up on my French but I’ll actually get to relax. What an amazing concept. It will also put me smack in the middle of France which means I’ll likely be able to go visit some of my nearest and dearest in Lyon and Paris (assuming train prices are on my side, of course).

If Vichy doesn’t work out, I might just head back to Aix in honor of this perfect and most beloved travel moment or go back to Rouen to try out one of our Language and Gourmet food packages which includes trips to Michelin star restaurants and a tour of a Calvados distillery (swoon). Or I could do a week in the Alps and go to Chamonix or Chambery. Decisions, decisions….either way Vichy is my first choice. The town itself isn’t very thrilling, but that spa package screams my name in all it’s French glory so if I can make it happen, I’ll be going there for sure.

So there you have it. France wins for best travel memory – surprise! But who knows what will happen this coming year. With Spain calling my name in February and a trip to California already scheduled for September next year’s favorite could be much less predictable.

Happy New Year!

Get Ready Spain and Portugal – I’m Coming!

It’s official – I’m going to Spain and Portugal in a late February/early March. It’s days like today that I LOVE my job.

The current plan is Barcelona, Malaga, Seville, and Madrid over the span of a week and a half and then one week in Lisbon. I have many work things to do while I’m there so free time will be limited, but if anyone has any suggestions on what to see or do, places to eat, places to drink (very important), hidden gems, etc in any of these locations please let me know so I can add them to my list.

This will also be the first time in over ten years that I’ve traveled to Europe and not gone to France. For the past decade, every time I’ve traveled across the pond it was with the purpose of going to France and all other trips to fabulous places happened off of that. Now, I’m going solely for Spain and Portugal and it feels a bit strange. Wonderful strange, but strange all the same. I admittedly have visions of magically being able to afford a flight to Lyon or Paris for a day or two to see some of my favorite people but I’m betting that’s not going to happen. But you never know, sometimes Easy Jet can make spontaneity a possibility. God bless Europe.

Either way, Spain and Portugal sound like a perfect escape from New York, even if it is for work, and I am thrilled to get planning (can you tell I’m a Virgo?). I also better start brushing up on my high school Spanish and get an English Portuguese dictionary so I don’t walk around for two weeks with a sad, confused look on my face. Part of my time in Portugal will actually be committed to taking beginner Portuguese classes, so that should also be fun and a great way to get my bearings and enjoy my time there.

So thanks Santa (read awesome boss man). Sometimes the best presents come in packages to big and fabulous to fit under the Christmas tree.

Spain and Portugal are Calling My Name

It’s that time of year again. Time to choose where I’m going next so I can expand my knowledge on fabulous locations and sell them to our clients.

Life is hard.

After creating a very official spreadsheet, with numbers and everything, I put in the request with my boss to go to Spain and Portugal in late February/early March. The goal is to do a tour of Spain – ideally Barcelona, Granada, Malaga, Seville, and Madrid, and then spend one week in Portugal learning Portuguese in Lisbon and participating in varying activities and excursions to get to know the city and the culture.  Not a bad trip right?

I’ve never been to Portugal so the possibility of going there is quite exciting and, while I’ve been to Spain, the last time I went I was about 14 years old and it was just a day trip to San Sebastian (so much amazing food). And the time before that I was only 7 and we were camping on the Spanish coast. At that point all I could comprehend was that the beaches were gorgeous and the people were friendlier than the French. Serious seven year old priorities. So it’s definitely time to go back to Spain as a grown up and actually appreciate it and have something more constructive to say about it as a country.

Sadly,  my boss hasn’t approved the trip yet. It’s highly unlikely he won’t approve the trip, and worst case scenario he’ll push for me to go somewhere in South America (oh woe is me), but I need to know now. Right. Now. To him, it can wait – it’s going to cost him money and it’s a few months away. What’s the rush in planning? But for me, it’s very important that I know I can go so I can start planning and getting excited. It’s currently taking all my self control to not look up train prices, to not stalk the plane fares on Orbitz, to not figure out all the things I get to see and do. It’s killing me!

Le sigh…say some travel prayers that I get the green light. Regardless there will be a trip in February or March so things are looking up. Now I just need to figure out how to purchase a computer between now and then so I can write while I’m away.

This is when it would be really helpful if Santa was real.

New York vs. Paris – The Commute

Some days I miss Paris. Truly miss it, in an almost painful and confused way. But then there are days, like today, when I realize how much better suited I am to New York and her way of doing things.

Like today, my first day back into the mad Manhattan rush hour, when people actually knew how to handle themselves on the train. They squeezed in tightly, making use of all the space available, every corner, every pathway, just to make sure no one was being crushed if not absolutely necessary. Then, when the train stopped, the people by the doors politely got off the train without having to be asked so as to let the other commuters  get off, happy to embark on their day without a war of wills with any lazy person blocking the door.

In Paris the only way to get off the train in rush hour was rage disguised by vague politeness in the general form of the chant, like so, “Pardon”…”Pardon”…”PARDON!!!”. It was a war cry I used many times on my commute to and from school and it was consistently followed by my grumbling of French and/or English curse words while exiting in an effort to emphasize my rage at the masses of aloof, useless Parisian metro riders.

A great way to start the day, obviously.

But here in NYC there was none of that. It was polite, beautiful silence. People knew where to go, how to move, how to behave, and most importantly, how to respectfully ignore each other. The art and skill of serious city commuters.

Take note Paris.

One Night in Paris

I’m back in Paris, for one night only, and the solitude of my apartment while strange, is simply the best thing I could have asked for in the middle of these last crazy few weeks.

Solitude however, does not always come with silence.

Given that my roommate and I were essentially sharing a one bedroom apartment this summer, I tended to keep my activities to my room, and she stayed in the living room where she slept on her futon. It was an effort to not crowd each other and to somehow find space in a tight setting and it worked rather well for the two months we were here. But because I didn’t spend much time in the living room, I was not privy to the symphony of noises that took place in our apartment building that are clearly audible from our living room window that I was blissfully unaware of in the bedroom.

Apparently we have a neighbor upstairs who loves cocaine more than anyone I’ve ever encountered and he snorts it with such noise and gusto that I feel like I’m in the room doing it with him.  Then there seems to be a classical pianist somewhere in the building who plays for hours…and hours…and hours. But at least it’s prettier than the sounds of coke going up someone’s nose. Then there’s the guy (or gal) who seems to think that every obscure, bad piece of pop music that no one would ever want to listen to is actually brilliant and worthy of blasting really loudly so that even with the windows closed, we are forced to listen to it. Then of course there are the crying babies, the loud mothers, and the worst of all insults from neighbors – the couple having bad sex. If you’re gonna have sex loud of enough for me to hear it, it better be good. And I mean really good. Otherwise, it’s just not fun for anyone.

It’s quite an arrangement of noise to say the least, and it might actually beat out every New York building I’ve ever lived in for strange and eclectic neighbors. Except maybe Harlem as that was the apartment where  our neighbor’s giant iguana climbed over the fire escape and into our window one day and surprised us in our living room…that was special. But that’s a story for another time.

So my one night in Paris is anything but dull and tomorrow is Brest where I’ll be staying with French hosts and trying to get the lay of the land for my job until I return to Paris late Saturday night with enough time to go dancing at a gay club, pack my bags, and get on a train to Geneva by Monday morning.

Life is certainly anything but dull.

Off to Brighton

I’m going to an English speaking country! I’m going to an English speaking country! Why am I this excited?!

Oh lovely England, how I have missed you. I’m only passing through London for but a few minutes, during which my heart will quietly be breaking into a million pieces in the train station, but at least I’m going to England. Brighton to be exact, where I get to see one of my favorite people and do some work and make some money.

I’m hoping despite having to work that I will be able to see enough to really get an idea of all Brighton has to offer. It sounds like an amazing little town and I’m a bit worried the relaxed beach town feel of it all will make me want to transfer offices. But I must return home to New York City. I must, I must, I must.

But first it’s Brighton, then it’s Brest, then my last official weekend in Paris which I have a feeling will do everything in its power to make me want to stay. Fabulous food, friends, and cocktail drinking has that power. Thank God all those things exist in New York.

So here’s to one last week of adventures before my return to the big bad city where the possibilities truly are endless, forever intimidating, and completely addictive.  Only one more week New York, get ready.