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Critic shares culinary memories of
extended stay in Paris
By Mat Schaffer
Patricia Wells, the respected, Paris-based restaurant
critic for the International Herald Tribune, shares
her enthusiasm for the foods of the City of Lights in
the newly published "The Paris Cookbook" (HarperCollins,
2001).
The book had its genesis in January 1980. "That's
when I moved to Paris thinking I was going to stay for
two years, and stayed a little bit longer," Wells
said with a laugh during a publicity stopover in Boston.
"This really is a scrapbook of the time I've spent
in Paris - more very recent recipes but a lot of ideas
from early years. It helped me remember the things I
love about Paris - getting up in the mornings and going
to the markets - and seeing how things have changed
in 20 years."
And just how have things changed?
"When I first moved there, there were three varieties
of potatoes, and now there's the potato man at the market
with about 25 varieties," Wells said. "I think
we're getting more and more specific about ingredients
and more and
more focused on an ingredient rather than on a classic
dish or a classic preparation."
The city's famed markets remain a source of inspiration
to chefs of every skill level. "You go to the market
and you see beets sitting next to the lambs lettuce
and you say, 'Oh yeah, let's make a beet and lambs lettuce
salad,' " Wells
said. "There are just so many obvious inspirations
that just knock you over the head at the market. But
it also forces you to cook very seasonally with the
freshest ingredients. Selecting and buying the ingredients
is as much a pleasure as going into the kitchen and
cooking with them."
Patricia Wells has spent two decades exploring the
best and worst restaurants in Paris.
"I always have loved simple things, but I love
to be wowed by something technically complex,"
she said. "I love to sample a really great traditional
dish, but I also love going to a restaurant where the
chef is off-the-wall
creative and coming up with new ideas."
Her restaurant reviews begin when she calls to make
a reservation.
"If I'm put on hold or the person answering the
phone is totally distracted, I'm not too impressed,"
she said. "When I walk into the restaurant, I take
a Polaroid photo in my head: What does it look like?
How does it smell? How's
the welcome? Then I sit down and look at the menu. It
can go two ways. I can look at it and say, 'Oh my God,
I'd like one of everything' or 'There's nothing on this
menu that appeals to me.'
"So before I've even ordered I've made all these
judgments about the restaurant," she continued.
"But the bottom line is what is the chef - or the
owner - trying to do and do they succeed? Are they trying
to be the best
fish restaurant in the 6th arrondissement or are they
trying to be the best classic bistro in the world? What
are they trying to do and do they succeed at it?"
Returning home to the United States four or five times
a year, Wells says she's gratified to see how America's
culinary sensibilities have evolved.
"We have the ingredients. We have the training.
We have the enthusiasm. We have a public that professes
to be into food. It's night and day (from 20 years ago).
There's no reason why we can't keep moving forward.
Today, we're
right up there with the best. I think we have a long
way to go - but I think that we have the foundation
to get there."
GRILLED CHICKEN WITH MUSTARD AND RED PEPPER
2 T. French Dijon mustard
1 T. coarse-grain French Dijon mustard
1-4 t. finely ground dried red pepper
2 eggs
6 chicken legs, thighs attached
1-2 c. fine homemade breadcrumbs
3 T. unsalted butter
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. In a small bowl,
combine the mustards and red pepper; stir to blend.
Place the eggs in a shallow platter and whisk lightly
with a fork to blend. Using a pastry brush, brush the
mustard mixture all
over the chicken legs and thighs. Dip them in the eggs,
coating evenly on all sides.Sprinkle with the breadcrumbs,
coating as evenly as possible. Place the chicken pieces
side by side in a roasting pan. Dot with the butter.
Place in the oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, basting
frequently. The chicken is done when the juices run
clear when pierced with a fork. Remove the chicken from
the oven and transfer the pieces to a wire rack to help
firm up the coating, about 5 minutes. Serve hot or cold.
Makes 6 servings.
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