Bobby Jay's Gourmet Visits to Paris -- 2012 Edition

I have just completed the 2012 edition of my Gourmet Visits to Paris, a small idiosyncratic guide to food related things for those contemplating relatively short (three- to five-day) visits to Paris. My favorite restaurants, markets, food shops, kitchen stores, etc.

Just click on the cover picture below to get a pdf of the whole document. For optimal viewing, I advise shrinking it to 100% and setting the two-page display option.

I am working on changing this pdf so that it opens and looks like a book, so stay tuned.

Bobby Jay

Yumm! Sauce and Bowls

Nearly a year ago, I did a post on nutritional yeast. I recently received a comment from an anonymous reader suggesting that I use it to make Yumm Sauce, an almond sauce invented by Café Yumm! in Eugene, Oregon.

Internet research led me to numerous copycat recipes for the sauce, which is available in its authentic form from Café Yumm! The recipe I used (set out in full below) produced an excellent sauce, intensely almond and lemon-flavored and resembling tahini, which is sesame seed-based.

What to do with the sauce? You could use it as a dip with pita chips or bread or make Yumm Bowls, a healthful, hearty dish that they make at Café. The Café's blog has a video demonstrating how a Yumm! Bowl is made: atop brown rice, add a ladleful (I used 3/8 cup) of Yumm! Sauce, then small quantities (I used 1/4 cup each) of black beans, chopped tomatoes, salsa, grated cheddar and sliced black olives, a couple of slices of avocado and a dollop of sour cream; then garnish with cilantro (I sprinkled sesame seeds). Tasty, simple, vegan and gluten free.

Here is a picture of my version.

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Yumm Sauce

• 1/2 cup oil (preferably canola oil)
• 1/2 cup almonds
• 1/3 cup nutritional yeast
• 1/3 cup garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup soybeans (or use 1/2 cup silken tofu if needed)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup lemon juice
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp salt 1 tsp curry powder (or use less and supplement with dried basil or similar herbs)

Blend nuts, beans and oil in food processor. Then blend in yeast and liquids one at a time. Puree until smooth.

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Bobby Jay

Sun-Dried Tomato and Olive Crostini Revisited

In September 2010, I did a post on sun-dried tomato and olive crostini, an hors-d'oeuvre that I developed on the fly that has become a standard at our house. It is a simple mélange of the vegetables (finely diced), ricotta, Greek yogurt and good olive oil, spread on toast.

Recently, I discovered at Eataly a wonderful creamy ricotta from Salvatore in Brooklyn. It is so light that it is not necessary to add the yogurt and oil that I used in my previous recipe, just a thin coating of ricotta with the sun-dried tomato and olives on top, with a sprinkling of black pepper, a pinch of fleur de sel and a few drops of great olive oil. Here it is:

Bobby Jay