Saturday, December 12, 2015

Parisian lunch...

Last Spring when I visited Paris I savoured the delicious food served in cafes and restaurants.
The breakfasts consisted of croissants, yogurt and fruit served with strong coffee and steamed milk.
They kept me going while I walked for many hours exploring the various arrondissments.
When I needed a rest I would stop at a wee sidewalk cafe for lunch...



I took a cooking class at La Cuisine and learned how to prepare duck.
I have not made it yet since coming home but it is on my "list of things to do!"


This cookbook is full of great recipes and there are stories and snippets that go along with each section.
I love his simple recipe for making omelets.


Beat 2 large eggs and add 1 teaspoon of cream or full fat milk.
Toss in some herbs, salt and pepper.


Lay a handful of Arugula or Mesclun greens on the plate.
Dress with a little vinaigrette.


Melt butter in an omelet pan on medium high heat until it foams and bubbles.


Pour egg mixture into the pan and cook until the edges are set.
Top with a little grated cheese.


Here is the basic recipe as seen on Page 133 of David's book.
You can see that I am a messy cook dripping bits and smudging the pages...
I think these little "splodges" left behind show which recipes are used most often.


Slip a large flipper underneath the omelet and flip carefully...
roll over on itself and out of the pan onto the plate.


Lunch is served.
Low in calories, filling and with every bite I recall the sights and sounds of the Parisian Cafes.
Taste and food can transport you back in time...


A beautiful Hellebore flower seen on my walk.

I managed to get out for a 5K walk yesterday between the windstorms...
right now as I write this the winds have whipped up again and the trees are straining and bending with the sheer force of the gusts.

I'll be back with some more photos from the walk but right now I have an appointment and I do not want to be late!

10 comments:

Anonymous said...

You are very artistic, Hostess. You take lovely pictures and the settings are always so pretty and neat. The yellow Hellebore flower and omelette are eye catching. You are also well organized and, an excellent cook too! I enjoy coming here to read your lovely blog. Greetings Maria from Italy x

Susan said...

I've thought often about how you flew to Paris by yourself and had a wonderful time in that great city. When you make the duck--please share! Your omelet looks wonderful. I use a small stainless steel skillet to make omelets and was not familiar with your kind of omelet pan.

Anonymous said...

Loved your pictures and your omelet looks delicious. You are so right about how food can send us back in time. The dish I enjoyed most in Paris was the warm goat cheese salad. When I first read The Sweet Life in Paris, the first recipes I came across were for kir and warm goat cheese salad. I knew right then that David Leibovitz was my kind of cook! Thanks for bringing back some memories for me today. Charlene

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Thank you Maria! I enjoy taking photos and almost exclusively now use my IPhone...I try not to take pictures when the kitchen looks too messy.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

I will share the duck recipe...when our friends from Vancouver come over after Christmas I plan to make it.

hostess of the humble bungalow said...

Hi Charlene,
I had a warm goat cheese salad at the cafe in the Musee D'Orsay that was amazing!
I enjoyed reading The Sweet Life and read it with "gusto!" before my trip...David is a great writer and his style and thoughts on cooking is so personal. I read his blog posts too.

BeachGypsy said...

Mercy that looks delicious!!!

Hilary said...

Your omelette looks delicious and your kitchen looks so polished and tidy. My memories of food in Paris are of delicious sandwiches eaten in the pretty, well maintained squares and parks.

Sandra Sallin said...

Your omelette looks perfect! I'm a messy cook also. That just means we have gusto! I have that cookbook, and love his stories of living in Paris. Now to cook from it.

La Vie Quotidienne said...

I have never seen an omelet pan like yours, now you have sent me on a quest. Thanks for the tips, I love omelets and make them quite a bit, I think this pan would be very helpful.