Eating in Paris – Le Bistro des Gastronomes

Posted on October 8, 2011 by Susan

Les parents love les bistros. So, on our last night in Paris, we decided to try the ambitiously named Bistro des Gastronomes. Bistro des Gastronomes opened quietly in the 5^th arrondissement in January of this year. It’s a funny place. Consider: (a) a hot young chef (he most recently worked for Christian Constant *swoon* and at Chez Michel) (b) reasonable prices (at €35 for three courses it’s a bit splurgy for me, but not if les parents are buying); (c) a good, fairly central location; and (d) very good food. A recipe for success, non? Continue reading →

Roast Pork Loin with Figs, Thyme, and Rosemary

Posted on October 6, 2011 by Susan

About a week and a half ago, my mother asked me to “cook dinner for the fogies.” “The fogies?” you ask. Yes: my parents had invited four of their same-age friends round for dinner. Now I’m not saying that people in their seventies don’t get their food on. Still, I thought I’d eschew my romance with chili peppers and go for rustic, warming comfort food. Hence this dish. It’s seasonal, it’s pretty, it’s easy, and it goes well with wine and fogies. Continue reading →

Aji Chombo (Panamanian Hot Sauce)

Posted on October 5, 2011 by Susan

First, some background. Five years ago I spent five weeks in Panama. I contracted dengue fever, but that’s another story. While there, I was introduced to what became and has remained my absolutely favourite hot sauce Continue reading →

Eating in Paris – L’As du Fallafel

Posted on October 4, 2011 by Susan

Street food is my favourite thing to eat almost all the time. If food is salty, fried, spicy, pickled, if it’s handed to me wrapped in paper by some guy I just saw cook it, and I can dispense with forks and plates and cram it in my mouth, I’m ON IT like white on rice. Falafel – which arguably is older than the New Testament – is a perfect food. Done right, it’s a glimpse at the ineffable. It’s a pleasure loop. Continue reading →

Eating in Paris – Au Passage

Posted on October 2, 2011 by Susan

Three minutes after I got to Au Passage restaurant/wine bar, I started to fret that taking my parents there was a mistake. Let me explain: Au Passage is a hipster spot. Located down a slightly grungy alley in the 11^th arrondissement, Au Passage looks and feels like a dive bar. The tables and chairs are a mish-mash of club chairs and hand-me-downs, the bar is fully stocked, the playlist seems to consist of nothing but the White Stripes, and the menu is 10 or 12 items scrawled on a chalkboard. In other words, it’s the kind of place where I feel right at home Continue reading →