Homemade Yogurt -- Worth the Bother

 Homemade Greek-style yogurt with strawberry-habanero jam

Inspired by an April 2012 primer by Megan O. Steintrager on epicurious.com, I recently made several batches of homemade yogurt.  Without specialized equipment (apart from a good thermos), I was able to turn out yogurt that tasted the way it did when I was a kid (and didn't like it): really really tangy.

I started, as recommended, by making a batch of whole-milk yogurt with pasteurized (not ultra) organic milk.  The taste was great but it was too liquid to be very useful.  Next I made a batch of Greek-style yogurt from the same milk, and it came out beautifully creamy with the same wonderful tang.  The Greek-style variation involves straining the milk through a cheese-cloth lined colander overnight in the refrigerator. (For a somewhat more liquid version, stop the straining after one hour.)

Emboldened by my earlier success, I made a batch of Greek-style using 2% organic pasteurized milk.  Perfect texture, although the taste (not surprisingly) was less creamy than for the whole milk version; still, it's a good compromise.

I am not swearing off Greek-Style yogurt from the supermarket (my favorite is Fage), which is very good and comes ready-made.  However, if I have the small amount of time it takes to make it, I plan to keep a supply of homemade yogurt on hand.

Bobby Jay

En passant (5) . . . Kitchen Utensils

I have way too many kitchen gadgets. Lots of them sound good, but don't do much, and I never throw away the useless ones and end up wasting space. But some really do earn a place in the kitchen. Here are a few.

Danish Whisk

I learned of this device from my favorite food blogger, Clotilde. It's good for batters and doughs, especially those, like bread doughs, that are a bit difficult to plow through with a wooden spoon. This is not a necessity -- your hands can do equally well -- but a nice convenience. Available from King Arthur Flour for $14.95.

Parrot's Beak Paring Knife

When I bought a set of inexpensive Victorinox paring knives, this one was included. I didn't understand what it was for and didn't use it until recently. What a revelation. You have total control over the knife and can cut slices of soft or medium-hard products (e.g. cheese, small vegetables) with great ease and precision. I feel like Jacques Pépin when I use it. Available all over for about $10.

Lemon Squeezer

Some people don't like this device, but I use mine all the time, for lemons and limes. It gets all the available juice out of the fruit without the seeds. What's more, you can use it to produce exact measurements, by weight or by tea- or tablespoon. Don't get the lime one (too small) or the orange one (too big and there are other solutions for oranges). Available all over for under $10.

Bobby Jay

Macarons vs. Macaroons

Readers of this blog will know that I adore macarons, French cookies consisting of almond meringues surrounding a creamy filling. I recently made a bunch of my best ones -- lavender orange (courtesy of Cannelle et Vanille) -- for a cousin who had invited me to dinner. As it's still Passover, these flourless delicacies are appropriate as well as delicious.

Lavender Orange Macarons 

But what we grew up with were Passover macaroons, a whole 'nother thing. These are confections made of syrupy grated coconut, often flavored with chocolate, formed into little mountains. They come in cans, and are really not great, at least for adults. A recent post by David Lebovitz gave a recipe for pineapple coconut macaroons, so I made a batch to see if homemade ones would be worth eating. They came out quite beautiful, if I say so myself, and have an interesting taste as a result of the pineapple's sweet/tart notes. By the way, these are French, too, called rochers à la noix de coco, or rochers coco for short.

Pineapple-Coconut Macaroons

So macarons or macaroons? For me, it's easy (the former), but there is room in the world for both.

Bobby Jay

Adventure in Little Egypt

My friend John and I shared a food adventure in Queens this week, going to the famed Kabab Café in the tiny Egyptian enclave on Steinway Street (it's at number 25-12).

Kabab Cafe

Things are pretty relaxed at the Kabab cafe. Upon arriving at the restaurant at 1:00 PM, the purported opening time, the owner, Ali Rahman, was cleaning his oven and informed us that he would not open until that task was completed, estimated to be 20-25 minutes. So we went next door to the Nile Deli to see what an Egyptian market was like. Apart from the many hookas on display, the Nile contains a wealth of Middle Eastern products, chickpeas and favas in every possible form, tahinis, etc. A fascinating side trip.

Nile Deli

By the end of our little detour, the Café was ready to open, so we went in. After a Paris-length interval, Ali approached us and we began to chat about what we might eat. Ali, a warm and humble man, sizes up the customers during this preliminary interview and makes appropriate suggestions. We ended up with a plate of assorted mezze with fava bean falafel, a vegetable salad, and small plates of lamb parts: we had brains (looked and tasted like a very tender schnitzel) and sweetbreads (perfectly browned outside and tender in the middle). We passed on the liver and the testicles. All was well-prepared and we enjoyed the mild but pungent spice profile. (A spicy homemade seven-pepper sauce is available to kick up the flavors to those – me included – who so desire.) Abundant mint tea and pita accompanied and enhanced the meal.

Laziza Pastries

Leaving, we passed by the nearby Lebanese pastry shop, Laziza, where John bought a mixed batch of miniature pastries in the baklava mode: various configurations of nuts and honey in filo. All very tasty and a perfect counterpoint to the Egyptian seasoning still occupying our mouths.

Queens is the ultimate melting pot today. Nearly every nationality is represented there, and enjoying their foods is the best way to partake of other people’s cultures. Well worth the trip.

Bobby Jay

Passover Seder 2012

Our Seder Plate

Our family's Seder migrated to our apartment this year, after countless years at my in-laws' home. The important thing about the Seder, of course, is the opportunity for a family to gather together from disparate places to catch up on the year's events and to celebrate its family-ness. Then there is the recounting of the stirring story of the Jews exodus from Egypt, which links us to our ancestors through a thousands-of-years-old tradition. Finally, there is the meal, which generally involves multi-generational cooperation and preparation and consumption of enormous quantities of family favorites. Our Seder was no exception.

Here's the menu, all presented at tables magnificently set and flowered by my wife Joan:

2012 Passover Menu

Hors d'Oeuvres Charred eggplant (Ottolenghi, Ottolenghi: The Cookbook)

• Tapenade (Jacques Pépin, Essential Pépin)
• Matzo Flour Gougères (Clotilde, Chocolate & Zucchini, Essential Pépin)
• Artichoke hearts in oil and lemon (Poopa Dweck, Aromas of Aleppo)

Dinner 

• Naomi’s chunky charoses
• Heidi’s spectacular matzo ball soup
• Gefilte fish with smoked whitefish (Bon Appétit, April 2002)
• Chicken tagine with two lemons (Elizabeth Bard, Lunch in Paris)
• Quinoa with pomegranate seeds (oops, forgot them), almonds and parsley (yes, it's kosher for passover, neither a grain nor a legume)
• Ina’s incomparable brisket

Desserts 

• Ina’s plum sponge cake (from an ancient New York Times recipe)
• Vicki’s delicious assorted cookies and bars
• Winter fruit compote with cognac and crème fraîche (Laura Calder)

A good time was had by all, and I look forward to an even better Seder in 2013.

Bobby Jay

Way Beyond PBJ: Gourmet Peanut Butter Sandwiches

Bobby Jay's Peanut Butter, Mango Pickle Relish and Banana Sandwich

Who doesn't like peanut butter? If it's you, or if you have a peanut allergy, stop reading (well, not so fast; sesame butter (tahini) is an interesting and worthy substitute). But if, like me, you love the stuff, read on for some ways to use it that you may not have considered.

Although I love peanut butter, I have never been a fan of peanut butter and jelly. Even as a child, I found the sweetness of the jelly (classically Smucker's grape) to clash with the savory goodness of the peanut butter. So over the years I have sought other accompaniments.

I am not going to devote much space to the selection of peanut butter. Everyone has his or her favorite already. Mine are Cream-Nut and Trader Joe's organic made with 100% Valencia peanuts. I like the freshly ground kind that you find at health food stores, but find it turns hard and grainy in the fridge and is tough to use for sandwiches (although a few seconds in the microwave can give you a spreadable texture). Generally I use creamy unless I am doing a pretty plain version with nothing but spices added, in which case I prefer chunky.

Similarly, I am not going to make bread recommendations. Anything you like is fine, although for me it has to be toasted. So here are some of my favorites:

• PB with toasted (untoasted work, too, but less well I think) sunflower or pumpkin seeds
• PB with sliced banana PB with mango chutney (I prefer hot but mild is OK)
• PB with jalapeño jam (any jam or jelly will do, but make sure it's great)
• PB with smoked paprika (again, I prefer hot but sweet is OK)
• PB with Cajun spice blend
• PB with za'atar (a thyme and sesame seed-based Middle Eastern blend)
• PB with Branston Pickle (this is pretty weird stuff, even for me)

Garlic powder makes a great addition to the simpler ones, especially sliced banana. Just put it on a little before eating so it blooms. Fleur de sel is great, too, especially if you're using unsalted PB. But my current signature PB sandwiches are Indian-inspired;

• PB with lime-chili pickle and sliced banana
• PB with hot mango pickle relish and sliced banana (pictured above)

The banana cuts the salty spiciness of Indian condiments in a way that produces a savory balanced flavor and perfect texture. I plan to try ginger pickle relish soon, and am sure it will be great, too. These are very idiosyncratic flavors and I am sure they will not be to everyone's liking, but that's what's exciting about food, isn't it?

But why stop there? In the future I will be trying some Chinese products, like Sichuan chile paste, and perhaps other Southeast Asian products (think Satay).

I'm sure some readers will have their own combinations, and would love hearing them. As well as feedback on any of the ideas noted above. Please share.

Bobby Jay

Paris - Flavored Syrups at Goumanyat

The best spice store in Paris is Goumanyat et Son Royaume, near the Place de la République. This is the retail outlet for Thiercelin, a seventh-generation family-owned spice merchant and producer that has been in business since the time of Napoleon. In addition to the highest quality spices - especially saffron and peppers from all around the world - Thiercelin produces flavored oils and syrups based on proprietary blends.

Thiercelin syrups at Goumanyat

This trip I bought two of their flavored syrups: Sarawak pepper and Saffron. Both are marvelous, and I have only started figuring out how to use them. The simplest way is to add a few drops to still or sparkling water; the aroma is amazing, and the taste subtle and enticing. Just as simple is to pour a little on vanilla ice cream. The saffron, in particular, produces a fascinating mélange of flavors.

These syrups could also work miracles in the hands of a serious mixologist (which I am not).

I tasted samples of other wonderful Thiercelin syrups, but one must have limits. Among others were a white Sarawak pepper, somewhat milder than the one I bought, a Tasmanian pepper, still milder, and a Sichuan pepper, with an altogether different, but still interesting, flavor profile.

Goumanyat et Son Royaume, 3 rue Charles-François Dupuis, Paris 3ème (Métro République).

Bobby Jay

Paris - Best Sweetbreads Ever at My Favorite Restaurant

I love sweetbreads but try not to eat them more than twice a year. I used a portion of my annual allotment at Restaurant Jean (see my earlier posts of December 28, 2010 and December 24, 2011) the other night, and definitely made the right decision.

Jean's sweetbreads were tightly packed into a sausage-like shape, and a branc of laurel was stuck through the middle, with the leaves left outside the meat. Then they were perfectly pan fried, and served with a jus made from the pan drippings. The regular shape allowed for a deep crust with a creamy inside, lightly infused by the laurel branch. Accompanied by a gorgonzola raviolo and a little ham and cheese pastry. Heaven!

Sweetbreads at Jean

My appetizer was almost equally excellent: a deconstructed home-smoked salmon "maki" made with goat cheese and served with the nori separately and a little mound of beet ice cream. Really a wonderful mélange of tastes and a lovely presentation.

Smoked Salmon "Maki" at Jean

My dinner companion had the wonderful pigeon and started with a tartare and carpaccio of scallops, beautifully presented with a briny emulsion of green apple and algae.

Tartare and Ceviche of Scallops at Jean

This is now my favorite restaurant in Paris!

Bobby Jay

Paris - Cooking Lessons Encore

When in Paris, I like to take cooking lessons at Atelier des Chefs, and this week I took three. I have written about this cooking school in an earlier post, but I thought an update might be of interest.

Lesson 1 - Discovery of Spices

-Shrimp In Star Anise Flavored Nage over Sauteed Vegetables
-Mangoes Caramelized with Cardomom with Caramel/Coconut Milk Whipped Cream, with White Chocalate Saffron Sauce
-Duck Breast with Peppered Mangoes with Gingered Sweet Potato Purée

Lesson 2 - Things to Do with Pastry Dough

-Thin Green and Red Pepper Tart with Sauteed Calamari and Oussau-Iraty Cheese
-Morel Mushroom Tourte in Puff Pastry on a Crisp Potato Base
-Almond Praline Tart on Sugared Pastry with Raspberry Coulis

Lesson 3 - Spring Produce - Asparagus, Girolles and Raspberries

-Green and White Asparagus with Hollandaise Sauce (made in painstakingly classic fashion and absolutely wonderful)
-Cream of Girolle Mushroom Soup with Quick-Sauteed Foie Gras
-Verrine of Fava Beans, Red Peppers and Chorizo topped with a Parmesan Tuile
-Nage of Fresh Strawberries and Raspberries Infused with Cardomom

I enjoy learning some wonderful recipes, but what I really like is interacting with the chefs and learning tricks (trucs) or tips (astuces) that make me a better cook.

Here's the recipe (in French) for the wonderful mango dessert. I think it would be just as good without the white chocolate sauce.

More...

Mangue caramélisée à la cardamome, chantilly caramel-coco et sauce chocolat blanc au safran
(Brunoise de mangue caramélisée et aromatisée à la poudre de cardamome, servie avec une chantilly de caramel-coco ainsi qu'une sauce chocolat blanc au safran)

Les ingrédients
Quantités pour 6 personne(s)

Pour l'étape 1
• Mangue(s) : 3 pc(s)
• Sucre semoule : 100 g
• Poudre de Cardamome verte : 3 g
Pour l'étape 2
• Sucre semoule : 180 g
• Lait de coco non sucré : 30 cl
• Crème liquide entière : 10 cl
Pour la sauce
• Chocolat blanc : 300 g
• Safran en poudre : 3 g
Pour les tuiles
• Farine de blé : 35 g
• Amande(s) hachée(s) : 50 g
• Jus d'orange : 5 cl
• Beurre doux : 35 g
• Sucre glace : 140 g

Description de la recette

Pour la mangue
Éplucher la mangue et la tailler en petits dés (1 cm).
Verser le sucre dans une poêle et le laisser caraméliser. Lorsque le caramel a une belle couleur rousse homogène, ajouter les dés de mangue et la poudre de cardamome et laisser cuire à feu vif pendant 3 min.
Débarrasser et laisser refroidir.

Pour le siphon caramel lait de coco
Faire fondre le sucre dans une poêle jusqu'à obtention d'un caramel. Mélanger, puis ajouter ¼ de crème liquide. Faire ensuite refroidir.
Verser le reste de crème et le lait de coco sur le caramel froid, puis mettre la préparation dans la cuve du siphon. Refermer et ajouter la cartouche de gaz.

Pour l'appareil à tuiles
Préchauffer le four à 200 °C (th. 6-7).

Réaliser les tuiles : mélanger tous les ingrédients dans un bol, puis déposer des petits tas sur une plaque de cuisson (sur du papier sulfurisé ou sur une toile de cuisson).
Enfourner les tuiles pendant 5 min, puis les sortir et les laisser tiédir. Les mouler ensuite sur un rouleau à pâtisserie.
Démouler les tuiles lorsqu'elles sont froides.

Pour la sauce chocolat blanc
Faire fondre le chocolat au bain-marie, puis ajouter la poudre de safran.

Dans chaque assiette, déposer une tuile avec la brunoise de mangue caramélisée. Verser ensuite l'émulsion caramel sur la mangue, puis la sauce chocolat blanc-safran.

Really fun and highly recommended, subject to the caveat that the lessons are in French and will be hard to follow if you are not at least competent in the language. A decent repertoire of food terms is very helpful.

Bobby Jay

Paris - Thanksgiving?

Wandering in the Marais, on rue St-Paul, I happened upon Thanksgiving, a combination Louisiana style restaurant and American grocery. The idea of Cajun food in Paris was not too upsetting, but when I saw the grocery window, all I could think was "Why?". I guess I'm a bit of a snob, but American mustard and mayonnaise and Smucker's Grape Jelly? In France?

Bobby Jay

Paris - Chef for a Day

For my 60th birthday, I took over a part of New York's Institute for Culinary Education (ICE) and, with about eight friends, cooked an elaborate meal for about sixty friends. It was a great success and is described at length in my posts of September 17, 18 and 23, 2010 ("My Big Night").

Now anyone can easily put together a party like this, at least if you happen to be in Paris. A new establishment there, "Un jour, un chef," maintains a 50-seat restaurant and lets people take over as chef of the day. The chef of the day works with the restaurant's professional chefs to create a menu which will be served for lunch and dinner on that chef's day. The restaurant is open to all, not just the chef's friends.

Un jour, un chef exterior

In addition to the daily chef's menu, there is a menu prepared by the restaurant's staff chefs, so guests can eat dishes prepared by the daily amateur chef and/or the professionals. The three-course menu is 20 euros at lunch, 30 euros at dinner (consisting of slightly larger portions). Amazingly, the chef for the day pays nothing for the privilege of using the (relatively simple) facilities, the procurement of all the food and the assistance of the professional chefs, who will do as much or as little as desired. Here is the menu for March 7:

Un jour,  un chef ardoise

I asked Olivier, one of the proprietors, whether one can take over the whole place and throw a party of one's friends, like what I did at ICE, and he said yes. (I have the impression that it has not happened so far, but the place is new and they are open to interesting ways to utilize their place and staff.) You would just have to pay the 30-euro price for the requisite number of guests plus drinks. (Of course, if you are using more expensive products - foie gras, truffles, etc. - there would be a premium.) This is a screaming bargain.

The ultimate pop-up. Would it play in New York?

Bobby Jay

Pumpkin Seed Oil

I recently had a wonderful salad of paper thin radishes with pumpkin seed oil and toasted pumpkin seeds at Gruener in Portland, Oregon. This was a great salad and I repeated it at home, but not quite as well as at Gruener's (my version is still a work in progress).

Pumpkin seed oil

The great discovery was the pumpkin seed oil. It is a bit like a cross between hazelnut oil and toasted sesame oil, pungent and fragrant. Like those oils, a little goes a long way, but with care it can make a great salad dressing. Just mix with a little vinegar (3 parts red wine and 1 part or less balsamic) and dress the greens lightly. Especially good on arugula with shavings of parmesan on top. Here's one I made with thinly shaved mushrooms and alfalfa sprout instead of arugula.

Radish and mushroom salad with pumpkin seed oil
and pumpkin seeds

I'm sure there are many other uses for this delightfully aromatic oil; it would be a lovely finishing oil atop green beans, snap peas and many other vegetables, as well as over simply grilled fish filets.

Pumpkin seed oil is supposed to be healthful as well, but I don't have enough evidence to tout this as a benefit.

Bobby Jay

Momofuku Bo Ssam - Amazing Slow Cooked Pork

No wings for this year's Superbowl. Instead I made Momofuku Bo Ssam, David Chang's take on slow cooked pork, served with Korean dipping sauces and kimchee.

This recipe appeared in The New York Times a couple of weeks ago, and is totally simple to make. You just (1) rub the pork with a mixture of white sugar and Kosher salt, (2) let it sit overnight, (3) cook it at 300 for 6 hours or until it collapses, (4) let it sit for up to an hours, (5) rub with brown sugar and a little salt and cook at 500 for 15 minutes. Then serve it in a lettuce wrap with a little kimchee, a bit of rice, ginger/scallion sauce, and a drop of hot sauce made of Korean miso and chili paste. The only ingredients that are hard to find are the Korean bean paste (ssamjang) and chili paste (kochujang), but you can use any Asian hot sauce you like if these are not available.

I had plenty of leftovers and made a deconstructed version in salad form. Reheated the pork slowly, placed over chopped romaine lettuce and rice, then added kimchee and the ginger/scallion sauce as dressing, passing the hot chili sauce separately. An excellent salad, maintaining the balance of the original dish but with a different texture.

Bo Ssam Salad

Although the recipe calls for a bone-in shoulder weighing 8-10 pounds, I used a 3-3/4-pound boneless shoulder, so the 6-hour cooking time worked out to less than 4 hours. The meat was Berkshire pork acquired at Heritage Farms USA's shop at the Essex Market: marbled with lots of fat that melted off in the slow cooking process, which resulted in a particularly tasty and unctuous dish.

Bobby Jay

Essential Pépin - Jacques Does It Again

Jacques Pépin is my idol. He has been cooking for 60 years and teaching and writing for half that time, writing more than 20 cookbooks and doing several series on PBS. He is a joy to watch; his technical competence, charm and obvious love of cooking are infectious.  Just look at this picture of him.

Jacques' most recent book is Essential Pépin, which is accompanied by a series on PBS of the same name. It contains more than 700 recipes, mostly French of course, but reflecting his relentless drive towards simplification while staying true to the essence of things. It also reflects changes in the produce and ingredients that are available to modern cooks, including influences and products from Asia and elsewhere. I love Jacques' Fast Food My Way and More Fast Food My Way, but Essential is a far more ambitious book, which seeks, successfully, to do what its title suggests: to share a lifetime of cooking experience and insight.

I have tried only a few recipes from the book, but they have been clearly expressed, easy to follow and uniformly excellent:

• the best Tapenade I have ever made
• an amazing Pork Liver Pâté that tasted as good as you'd find at a Parisian charcuterie
• Mémé's Apple Tart - Jacques'mother's recipe for an apple tart with a fantastic easy-to-make crust made with shortening and baking powder
• Baked Stuffed Onion - here I used overly large onions, which didn't break down as much as desired
• Dried Apricot and Pistachio Soufflé - this was gorgeous but just a little light - no egg yolks, which is a good thing - and not quite sweet enough for my taste; I plan to do it again with sweeter apricots or figs
• Braised Pears in Caramel Sauce - this was not pretty (I used brown sugar and got a muddy looking caramel) but is easy to make and very tasty.

Pork Liver Pâté and Dried Apricot Soufflé

Mémé's Apple Tart and Braised Pears in Caramel

This is a really great cookbook, worthy of space on anyone's shelves. I also highly recommend the companion TV series.

Bobby Jay

PS: A day after this post, I made Jacques' Apples "Bonne Femme," simple bakes apples: another winner that tastes like what a French mother would make (or what one might imagine she would make).

En Passant (4) . . . Food Related Gifts

With the holidays just over, we have a respite from thinking about gifts. Or do we? What about birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, engagements, showers, Mothers Day, Fathers Day, etc.?

Here are three food-related items that make perfect gifts.

Modernist Cuisine

I recently had a chance to leaf through a copy of Nathan Myhrvold's amazing 6-volume Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking. At $650 retail (only $449 at Amazon) and taking up a lot of shelf space, this set is not for everyone, but in addition to the most spectacular food photos you will ever see, there appears to be a lot of interesting (useful?) information about cooking processes, ingredients, etc.

Copper Polenta Pot

This gorgeous polenta pot (paiolo), made by Ruffoni in Italy, is available from Williams-Sonoma for $175:

Cheese Knives

La Cucina Italiana, a fun publication that I recommend to anyone interested in cooking, published the following piece on cheese knives of varying types and to fit any budget:

Of course there is an infinite variety of food-related gifts - cookbooks, cooking classes, knives, pots and pans and other equipment, etc. - but these are some that struck me in my post-holiday haze.

Bobby Jay

Happy New Year 2012!

In Paris, year-end thoughts turn to food, and windows abound with beautiful still-lifes. Here are some highlights of our stay in the City of Lights.

Dalloyau Window and Christmas Cakes

Macaron Tower at Fauchon; Hediard's Window

 Birds on Rue Montorgueil

My own Tarte aux Pruneaux

For the non-food reader, amazing shoes at Christian Louboutin

BONNE ANNÉE 2012!

Bobby Jay

Paris - Restaurant Jean Again

We "discovered" Restaurant Jean, a charming restaurant located in Paris' 9ème arrondissement, a year ago, and decided to return for a meal with American friends. We had a really excellent meal and greatly enjoyed talking to the owner, ex-Taillevent, about the Paris restaurant scene.

Two of us started with one of the best egg dishes ever: a perfectly prepared runny boiled egg in a brick pastry nest over a cauliflower sauce and topped with some smoked eel and a bit of caviar. A really memorable bite.

Incredible egg at Restaurant Jean

The others began with tartare and carpaccio of scallops and smoked salmon with chèvre, japanese pickled plum and seaweed.

For our main, J and I had pigeon, roasted to a beautiful rare, the breast stuffed with foie gras, and all accompanied by truffled macaroni, pomegranate jelly and confited pink garlic; this was as good as it sounds. One of our friends had black cod marinated in miso, then caramelized, and accompanied by seasonal vegetables and a wasabi sabayon, while the other had perfectly sauteed scallps. Both were very pleased.

Jean has lost its wonderful American pastry chef, but the standard of desserts has been maintained. Two of us ended with a medley of coffee tastes: jelly, mascarpone and biscuit. The others had an equally wonderful mango with pistachio dacquoise, white chocolate Bavarian and an amazingly intense basil sorbet, another very successful dessert.

Jean's scallop tartare/carpaccio and coffee dessert

This sublime meal did not come cheap, about 75 euros per person before wine, but for food of this level, Jean is a real find.

Jean Restaurant, 8 rue St-Lazare, Paris 9ème (Métro Notre-Dame-de-Lorette).

Bobby Jay

Paris - Mets Gusto

We are back in Paris for year-end, and thoughts run, of course, to food.

Unfortunately, we started with one mediocre and one bad meal (trying a new place in our neighborhood), so we wanted a sure thing, but something new. Accordingly, we took the recommendation of our friends P and S, who know a good restaurant when they find one, and headed for Mets Gusto, in a residential part of the 16ème arrondissement.

While not a 35-euro or under place (think 60-65 euros), this gastro-bistro serves excellent food in a friendly environment. I started with cannelonis stuffed with shrimp in a (slightly too) rich parmesan seafood broth. J started with stuffed onion and tomato "comme en Provence." Both were excellent.

We then had our first game of the season, wild col vert ducks perfectly roasted until crispy and served with potatoes in a slightly aigre-doux sauce. The buckshot pellets that we discovered made the dish seem all the more authentic.

For dessert, we shared a chocolate cream with crunch hazelnuts and caramel ice cream. Serial wonderful tastes and textures made this a memorable dessert.

Mets Gusto, 79 rue de la Tour, Paris 16ème (Métro Rue de la Pompe).

Bobby Jay

The Art of Eating Celebrates 25 Years

Edward Behr is the publisher and one of the main writers of The Art of Eating, a really fine cooking and food magazine that comes out four times a year. A of E, which is ad-free, has in-depth articles about food and wine from around the world, sometimes common, sometimes very esoteric. For example, the Spring 2011 number included articles on Bordeaux cannelés (one of my favorite pastries), crème Anglaise, brioche, biscotti di prato, Normandy farm-made cider and making baklava in Gaziantep, Turkey, among others.

In commemoration of A of E's 25th anniversary, Behr has published a cookbook entitled The Art of Eating Cookbook: Essential Recipes from the First 25 Years. The book contains many traditional recipes that you will never make (marinated mackerel and sweet-and-sour sardines, for example, in my case) and many that you might. But the real strength of the book, as of the magazine, is in the scholarly approach it takes with respect to all the recipes, carefully explaining the choices made, describing the different traditions and options available, and giving other interesting facts. This is a book to be read as much as it is a cooking manual.

I am probably never going to make far aux choux (cabbage pudding), but what a pleasure to read his introduction!

The batter for this rustic pudding, from the Quercy in southwest France, is essentially the same as that for crepes, clafoutis, popovers, and Yorkshire pudding. Similar dishes are made in other French regions from other vegetables as well as fruits. When made without goose or duck fat, far au choux loses its regional reference and tastes much less interesting. Best of all is fat from a garlicky goose or duck confit. The far should be crisp-edged and tender -- not at all stodgy. A lighter consistency comes from Savoy cabbage, whose heads are, as the cook and gardener Barbara Damrosch describes them, "ruffled and crinkly," with an "elegant" texture and a flavor "so much more delicate that that of the firm-headed types." The leaves are thinner and the heads looser than with regular cabbage, and the Savoy varieties don't keep as well, but their taste is sweeter and milder, less sulfurous when overcooked, faster cooking and more tender. It is Damrosch's favorite kind, and the favorite of many cooks.

Get this book. If it's not for you, give it to a foodie friend.

Bobby Jay