Last Friday I had the rare experience of taking a cooking class thanks to Meeting The French in a French chef's home.
And what a gracious home it is indeed.
Chef Marthe Brohan, formerly taught in her own bistro's kitchen in the 11th. Now she opens her door and shares bistro trade secrets. Before cooking we go off to the marche Raspail for essential ingredients.
Chef Marthe shows us her favorite purveyors for olive oil and olives of Nylons/Provence. I buy some too. Irresistable.
Back in her apartment, it's all hands on deck to make the 3-course menu:
Mediterranean zucchini
Chicken with two vinegars
Citron Madeleines
I fall in love with these special shears for cutting herbs.
I find them on Saturday at the Bio marche on Raspail as directed.
On to our main course, the chicken with two vinegars + a touch of honey and rosemary.
While the chicken is cooking we move on to dessert - lemony madeleines. Marthe makes it easy as pie.
Marthe shares her favorite cookbooks...
Who knew the American Embassy had such a terrific cookbook? Marthe has marked up many pages for reference. I must get this book!
You can find it in English on Amazon as Elegant Entertaining, Seasonal Recipes from the American Ambassador's Residence in Paris.
Another of her favorite books..
And just out in the US,
Enfin a table!
The poulet is fragrant and delicious - so simple too.
Is there anything like eating madeleines right out of the oven? It will spoil you forever. And so easy using Marthe's methods. She explains a French expression to us -
'it is the madeleine de Proust'
meaning this is something I ate as a child. Nostalgia for dishes of one's childhood is so much a part of French taste/gout is it not?
Truly the highlight of my Paris trip to cook in Marthe's cuisine.
Merci Meeting The French.
Merci Meeting The French.
