At Home With Patricia Wells

THE NEW FOOD LOVER'S GUIDE TO PARIS:
AN APP FOR THE IPHONE
by Patricia Wells

Dear Friends

I am very excited to announce that THE FOOD LOVER’S GUIDE TO PARIS is back! All new content in an all new format -- as an app for the iPhone, also compatible with the iPad and iTouch. April 17 is the target date to begin sales on the iTunes App Store!

Over the past 15 months I have been visiting, re-visiting, and testing the best of culinary Paris, and the result is a user-friendly app that includes more than 350 favorite addresses, from restaurants, cafés, and wine bars, to the best in cheese shops, bakeries, pastry shops, chocolate shops, markets and specialty shops. Features include color-coded pins and GPS locations to guide you to the best spots nearby as you wander the city. You can browse by category or neighborhood, or if you are just looking for a place for a quick late-night bite, you find it quickly. You will be able to call establishments, link to their web sites, and even find directions. Color photos are included for most destinations. The app also features my popular A-Z glossary of French culinary terms. For more information, visit www.foodloverparis.com and on Itunes (click here to download now!). Note that you can also gift the app, tell a friend, share on Twitter and Facebook. And a 5-star rating would be most welcome!

Patricia

http://itunes.com/apps/
thefoodloversguidetoparis

PS: for Blackberry and Android users: Not yet, unfortunately. Those smartphone platforms are a future challenge

PATRICIA'S STORE

Le Creuset Enameled Cast-Iron 15-1/2-Quart Oval French Oven, Red

In class and in casual conversations, I am constantly asked which tools I find essential in the kitchen. And so with Amazon’s help I have put together a list of equipment – from small silicone baking brushes to bigger items like ice cream machines, smokers, steamers, and pasta cooking pots – that I love to use every day as I test recipes or cook for friends.

There are favorite pantry items too, which must always include the intense oils from Leblanc, pasta from Rustichella d’Abruzzo, and other favorites that you’ll see as you go through the Patricia Wells Selections.

Click here to enter my store and Google+

BLACK TRUFFLE COOKING EXTRAVAGANZA
January 23 to 27, 2012 (Completed)
January 21 to 25, 2013 (Places available)

2012 PARIS COOKING CLASSES
April 2 to 6, 2012 (Completed)
April 16 to 20, 2012 (Completed)
April 30 to May 4, 2012 (Completed)
May 9 to 12, 2012 (Special private class)

2013 PARIS COOKING CLASSES
February 25 to March 1, 2013 (2 Places available)
March 11 to 15, 2013 (Places available)
March 25 to 29, 2013 (Places available)

2012 PROVENCE COOKING CLASSES
June 3 to 8, 2012 (Full)
June 17 to 22, 2012 (Full)
July 1 to 6, 2012 (Full)
September 2 to 7, 2012 (Full)
September 16 to 21, 2012 (Places available)
September 30 to October 5, 2012 (Full)

2013 PROVENCE COOKING CLASSES
June 9 to 14, 2013   (Places available)
June 23 to 28, 2013 (Places available)
September 8 to 13, 2013   (Places available)
September 22 to 27, 2013   (Places available)

Click here to enroll in a
Patricia Wells cooking class

Click here to make a Final Payment

Click here to be added to the wait list for a class

COOKING CLASSES

A personal highlight at the Friday lunch as we wrap up each week’s class – whether we’re in Paris or Provence -- is how our students respond when I ask, “What’s your best takeaway? What’s the best thing you got out of the week?”

It may be my simple method for cooking garlic without burning it, inspired by Joël Robuchon many years ago. Or my “new” trick for slicing onions. Students always part with newfound knowledge of knife care after Walter’s complete knife-sharpening class. And in Paris and Provence students are constantly surprised (and pleased) by the variety and simplicity of my repertoire of fruit and herb sorbets, while everyone’s wine knowledge soars as the week goes on.

At week’s end we also vote for Best Taste of the Week and I am always delighted to see a wide variety of faves. While lemon verbena sorbet wins hands down as the perennial favorite, votes go to everything from a humble poulet rôtie to last season’s winners of brine-cured steamed salmon, tomato tatins, and spicy eggplant.

But more often than not, the answer reflects the personal relationships that develop and evolve during the week. We bond with new friends, the bonds with long-time friends grow tighter.

Generosity, conviviality and lifestyle are the qualities we try to demonstrate as much as knife techniques or the essentials of searing. An open sharing is at the basis of French joie de vivre. It is also the aspect that matters most to me about the celebrated French art de vivre. We hope you’ll come, but even more, if you do come, we want you to be among the many who leave saying “This has been the best week of my life.” Nothing makes me happier.

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A FOOD LOVING BAKER: GONTRAN CHERRIER

Gontran Cherrier's Tart au Chocolat 4 29 12

Gontran Cherrier’s Tarte au Chocolat, Miel, et Noix

In researching The Food Lover’s Guide to Paris application for the iPhone, I kept returning again and again to baker Gontran Cherrier’s breads and pastries, all stand-outs, all delicious. This chocolat tart is totally decadent and totally delicious. A very slim wedge is truly satisfying.

8 ounce (250 g) all-butter puff pastry, thawed if frozen (see Note)

3 tablespoons (1 1/2 ounces; 45 g) butter

1/2 cup (3 ounces; 90 g) brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt

1 tablespoon (15 g) honey

3 tablespoons (45 g) maple syrup

2 tablespoons walnuts, coarsely ground

2 tablespoons almonds, coarsely ground

2 tablespoons hazelnuts, coarsely ground

2 tablespoons dried apricots, preferably organic, minced

2 tablespoons dried figs, preferably organic, minced

2 tablespoons candied lemon or orange peel, preferably organic, minced

1 cup (250 ml) heavy cream

8 ounces (250 g) bittersweet chocolate, such as Valrhona Guanaja 70%, broken into pieces

Equipment: A 9-inch (23 cm) tart pan with a removable bottom.

Center a rack in the oven. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

Arrange the pastry in the tart pan, trimming the edges so that the pastry neatly fits the pan.

In a saucepan, combine the butter and brown sugar over low heat just until melted. Stir to blend. Stir in the salt, honey, and maple syrup. Spread the mixture over the bottom of the prepared pastry. Sprinkle with the nuts, and the dried and candied fruit.

Place in the center of the oven and bake the crust is dark golden and the topping is bubbly, 15 to 20 minutes. Let cool for 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the ganache topping. In a saucepan, heat the cream over moderate heat. Add the chocolate and stir to melt the chocolate. Stir to blend. Spread the ganache over the top of the tart. Refrigerate for 3 hours before serving, cutting into very thin wedges.

16 servings

Note: In France we use Marie’s all-butter puff pastry. In the United States, we favor Dufour brand frozen puff pastry, available at most Whole Foods grocery stores.

Gontran Cherrier’s treats can be found at two locations in Paris:

GONTRAN CHERRIER, 22 rue Caulaincourt, Paris 18

Tel : +33 1 46 06 82 66

Métro : Lamarck-Caulaincourt

Open: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday 7.30am-8.30pm. Sunday 7.30am-7.30pm. Closed Wednesday

www.gontrancherrierboulanger.com

contact@gontrancherrierboulanger.com

GONTRAN CHERRIER (Wagram), 8 rue Juliette-Lamber, Paris 17

Tel : +33 1 40 54 72 60

Métro: Pereire or Wagram

Open: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday & Saturday 7.30am-8.30pm. Sunday 7.30am-7.30pm. Closed Wednesday

TO DOWNLOAD THE APP GO TO ITUNES OR VISIT MY WEB SITE WWW.FOODLOVERSPARIS.COM

THE NEW FOOD LOVER'S GUIDE TO PARIS: AN APP FOR THE IPHONE

Dear Friends

I am very excited to announce that THE FOOD LOVER’S GUIDE TO PARIS is back! All new content in an all new format -- as an app for the iPhone, also compatible with the iPad and iTouch. April 17 is the target date to begin sales on the iTunes App Store!

More