16/11/2016
Special T’s pop up store

Nestlé opens its first ephemeral tea room in the heart of the Marais, to make you discover the special T., a capsule machine dedicated to tea. From September 27 to December 31st, you can taste one of the 35 teas or herbal teas of the brand, while enjoying biscuits specially created for the event by the great pastry chef Gilles Marchal.

Being a big consumer of tea, I was rather skeptical before testing the Special T, and I came out conquered and completely adept. The machine allows to infuse the tea slowly, to a perfect temperature and timing, keeping all its flavors and the complexity of its notes. Gilles Marchal’s biscuits combine marvelously with the selected teas. The gingerbread that will be available for Christmas is a true explosion of flavors, with Corsican candied clementines, homemade spices, candied ginger and mountain honey.

You can also participate in discovery and tasting workshops in the company of experts via the Facebook page.

When: 27 September 2016 until 31 December 2016
Where: 19 rue de la Verrerie 75004 Paris
From Tuesday to Sunday 11am-20pm
How much: Tea + 3 biscuits – 5€
Tea only – 3€

Ⓒ Special T

06/11/2016
My favorite gluten free products

You already know that I stopped eating gluten – or at least greatly reduced my consumption of it – for some time now, and I feel much better. Obviously, marketing is on the loose and more and more gluten-free products are appearing in organic shops and even supermarkets. Unfortunately, they are often more expensive than “normal” products. And beware, gluten free does not necessarily mean that they are organic, healthy, and free of additives or…palm oil! I made you a selection of my favorite products. Feel free to share yours by commenting!

By the way, you can now find all my gluten free recipes by clicking right here!

1. Lizi’s
This English brand has a delicious gluten free granola.

2. Evernat
This organic brand has a few gluten free products like mueslis or biscuits, as well as energetic bars.

3. Marks & Spencer
The English brand proposes a new gluten free collection of products. I’ve tested their flour which is quite cool to make cakes and tarts. They also have different types of cakes and breads, but I think that they might contain palm oil…

4. Schar
Schar is the leader of gluten-free products. I like their bread, their puff pastry, but what I like the most is their chocolate cookies Tendres Choco, they have a slightly mealy texture because of the rice flour but they are really good and replace your usual chocolate cookies.

5. Nu3
Nu3 is a great site offering a very large selection of products without conservatives, vegan, etc. You can for example find chia seeds, maca powder, quinoa,…The site also offers great natural beauty products.

6. Generous
On top of their great packaging which I love, Generous biscuits are probably the better gluten free biscuits I’ve tasted so far. Each character has its own taste, my favorite is Céline Citron!

7. Charles Vignon
This crunchy almond-vanilla muesli has the advantage of being organic, without any palm oil, and moreover excellent!

04/11/2016
Salad jar with shrimps

Have you heard of salad jars? Another concept just to talk about salads you might say, but in reality the idea is pretty neat because you just prepare your salad in a large glass jar that you can then easily take the office for lunch or take away for a pic-nic.

You can even prepare this recipe in the morning as it is quick and easy!

The Ingredients (for 1 person)

– a few peeled shrimps, raw or already pre-cooked
– 1 portion of rice vermicelli (about 100g)
– a handful of mangetout peas
– 1 tablespoon sesame oil
– 1 tablespoon soy sauce
– 1 tablespoon powdered sesame seeds (found in Asian groceries)
– 1 teaspoon of ground turmeric
– 1 pinch of chili
– 1 garlic clove
– fresh coriander

The Recipe

1. Cook your noodles then rinse them.
2. In a saucepan, sauté the garlic with a pinch of olive oil or sunflower oil. Add the prawns, turmeric, chili and snow peas, salt and pepper.
3. In the jar, place the noodles, add sesame oil, soy sauce and ground sesame and arrange over the shrimp and snow peas. Finish with a bunch of fresh coriander.

02/11/2016
La Cantine du Badaboum

You probably already know the Badaboom club for its lively dancefloor, but did you know that you could also have lunch there? In the kitchen, you’ll find my friend Walid. After working at the Stafford Hotel in London and the Bristol in Paris – from which he kept his precision and virtuous seasonings – Walid Sahed took his first place as a chef at only 23 in a small bistro in the 6th arrondissement, La Sieste, then went on traveling around the world. He stopped in Melbourne for some time at the Vue de Monde, created by a former sous chef from Noma, and when he returned filled with exotic tastes, he was asked to develop the full food service of the Badaboum. Walid creates a cuisine that I am fond of: free, simple and lively; fresh and well chosen products, comforting and creative dishes, filled with a childhood nostalgia.

The menu is absolutely unbeatable: 15 € for an entry-main-dessert and it it to die for. Clams teasing crispy potatoes, a fragrant broth with seaweed hiding fresh peas and pink radish, or a tomato salad – perfection – with its pinch of olive oil smelling like the sun and its lively lemon zest. Let’s continue with the beef bourguignon, melting in mouth, and ending with this delightful and regressive dessert, apple caramel and toasted almonds.
I wish this was my daily canteen!

La Cantine du Badaboum
2 rue des Taillandiers
75011 Paris
open from Tuesday until Friday – from 12:00 to 3:00pm
To go or to stay

At night, you’ll find fast-good plates like fish and chips, croque-monsieur, cheeseburger,…

16/10/2016
My favorite ceramics Instagram accounts

I ‘ve had a great passion for ceramics for years, and I started taking classes a year ago. It’s much more complicated than I imagined it would be but it’s exciting! You may have already seen some of my pieces on my Facebook page or my Instagram account… I am by the way preparing you a surprise! Meanwhile, here are my favorite Instagram accounts of professional ceramic artists:

@gayaceramic

When Italy’s taste meets Balinese savoir-faire. Simple and rough pieces, which are highlighting @royalebrat‘s colorful dishes.

@kimwallace_ceramics

Kim is Australian and creates delicate ceramic plates. The lace patterns are quite nice – although not very innovative.

@ceramicaretrending

Based in Germany, this shop / gallery offers a nice selection, very minimalistic.

@polsceramic

A design studio located in Spain. I’m a big fan of the indigo tie and dye!

@daisycooperceramics

Heading to Melbourne for beautiful colors and textures.

@jen.collins

I love Jen Collins who has a very unique style. This Canadian ceramic artist is also an illustrator, explaining her lovely imagery.

11/10/2016
Jeroboam

I fell in love with Jeroboam, a wine cellar and bar nestled in my favorite neighborhood. Dressed with rough wood and turquoise walls, this place is friendly, simple and as welcoming as its team. Here, one can discover 350 different natural wines through a futuristic machine thanks to which you can test several bottles by using a dedicated credit card; and you can even choose your glass capacity! Do not worry if you still want some information or tips, a passionate team is here to explain everything and tell you about their wonderful selection of the month. In the kitchen, Jessica treats us well with femininity. Of Polish origin, she changes the menu every month providing a new theme associated with the selected wines. Thanks to qualitative and fresh products (from Annie Bertin, Terroirs d’Avenir, …), a pinch of originality and nimble fingers, we can enjoy a grilled octopus and crunchy corn, homemade mackerel rillettes, chicken kebabs with a spicy peanuts salad, or a delicious beef tartare. If we want to stay casual, you can also share the cheese and charcuterie boards, and even end on a sweet note with the monthly chocolate fondant, figs and dulce de leche. Yum, we want more!

JEROBOAM
10 Rue Saint Sébastien
75011 Paris

La Table :
Du mardi au samedi : 19h-23h00
Assiettes de dégustation 6-10€

La Cave :
Du mardi au vendredi : 14h-23h
Samedi : 10h30-13h30 et 14h30-23h00
350 bouteilles de 30€ à 500€