15/01/2015
Chocolatexture

Japanese designer Nendo was elected designer of the year by Maison & Object, and created for the occasion a series of incredible chocolates. He explored the shape of chocolate through 9 different textures of the same size, 26 x 26 x 26 mm. Each texture and shape (hollow, pointed tips, cube,…) gives a different taste. These chocolates can be tasted and purchased at Maison & Object (Hall 8 F1-G2) in a lounge designed by Nendo, resembling a chocolate forest.

Each chocolate is directly named after Japanese expressions used to describe texture:

1. “tubu-tubu”: chunks of smaller chocolate drops

2. “sube-sube”: smooth edges and corners

3. “zara-zara”: granular like a file

4. “toge-toge”: sharp pointed tips

5. “goro-goro”: fourteen connected small cubes

6. “fuwa-fuwa”: soft and airy with many tiny holes

7. “poki-poki”: a cube frame made of chocolate sticks

8. “suka-suka”: a hollow cube with thin walls.

9. “zaku-zaku”: alternately placed thin chocolate rods forming a cube

photos by Akihiro Yoshida

12/01/2015
Je suis Charlie

I have been silent those last few days, I had lost my appetite, my sleep, my calmness, and especially the desire to write here. How could I tell you about recipes or new restaurants, while we were all devastated, shocked, overwhelmed by what was unfolding in front of our eyes? Difficult to find words to describe what I felt and still feel today, but I felt the need to write these few lines, because this blog is also somewhat my journal, which I share with French readers but also citizens of the world. I am sending my thoughts to all those who have lost loved ones during these unqualifiable events, the anonymous, the policemen and those great talents. I am and will remain forever Charlie. Long live Liberty, long live France.

06/01/2015
Epiphany 2015

Some pastry chefs use twice as much imagination this year for the Epiphany, with new shapes and recipes. Here are my favorites…

What: Chef Yann Brys imagined a labyrinth cake for La Jeune Rue, based on almonds and hazelnut cream, oranges and lemons zests, filled with mandarin marmalade and candied orange cubes.

How much: 24 € for 4 persons / 32 € for 6 persons

Where: on order only (commandegalette@lajeunerue.com)

What: Let’s continue with tangy flavors with this lemon zest frangipane filled with poppy seeds, all decorated with golden angels wings.

How much: 36 € for 6 persons

Où : Arnaud Delmontel

What: Christophe Michalak reinterprets the famous galette with this caramelized filo pastry with tangerine flavors, saffron and rose, in which hides a jewel. No more crown, a superhero mask instead!

How much: 45 € for 6-8 persons

Where : Michalak Takeaway

What: Oh, an éclair! Garnished with a caramel frangipane and covered with caramelized puff, it is signed by Christophe Adam course!

How much: 5 € for the eclair

Where: L’Eclair de Génie

What: This lovely star-shaped cake is simply filled with almond cream and sprinkled with gold dust.

How much: 30,50 € for 8 persons

Where : La Grande Epicerie de Paris

What: An original rectangular and wavy shape, a reversed crispy pastry, garnished with a frangipane with orange zest and a chocolate biscuit.

How much: 40 € for 6 persons

Where: A l’hôtel Le Burgundy

What: A beautiful sponge cake betting everything on the almond: almond sponge cake, almond praline cream, whipped cream and toasted, sliced and caramelized almonds!

How much: 24 € for 4-6 persons / 36 € for 8-10 persons

Where : Ciel

04/01/2015
Happy New Year!

I know, I’m late but…I wish you all a very happy new year 2015, may it be filled with joy, happiness, laughter, health, love, and above all, great food, meals, desserts, appetizers, dinners with friends, summer aperitif on fresh grass and gastronomical discoveries!

01/01/2015
Polish blinis

What can we make with our salmon left-overs from New Year’s? Polish blinis!

Ingredients (for about 20 blinis)

– 150 g flour (a mix of rice and corn if you want to make them gluten free)

– 100g spelt or buckwheat flour

– 20g fresh yeast

– a pinch of sugar

– 250ml milk (it can be soy or rice)

– 20g salted butter (or vegetal butter)

-2 eggs

the Recipe

Crumble the yeast in the flour, pour the warm milk. Whisk to a smooth texture.
Cover the bowl with a kitchen towel and let the dough rise in a warm place for 1 hour.
Separate the eggs, add the yolks in the dough with soft butter.
Mix until smooth, and let rise again with the towel over the bowl for 1 hour.
Beat the egg whites until stiff and add to the dough gently.
Heat a frying pan with a little fat, pour a tablespoon of dough and spread a little, wait until there bubbles appear and turn over.

28/12/2014
Christmas log coconut and passionfruit

All my friends ask me what I am preparing for Christmas… Actually it’s one of the times of year when I just lay feet under the table, because my family cooks astronomical amounts of delicious food: my mother Polish specialties (bortsch, makoviak cake,…), my father Marseille recipes, and my brother improvises desserts. My mother is allergic to gluten AND dairy (bad luck), thus decided to prepare a gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar-free Christmas log! She was inspired by this delicious recipe from the sublime blog Leaf, revisiting it her own way. I don’t think it is 100% vegan because there are traces of yellow eggs in the curd that we used.

The quantities allowed to make 2logs. Separate all elements at each step for making 2 logs.

1. Passion fruit insert
– 2 tablespoons passion fruit curd
– 1 g of agar
– 250ml passion fruit

Mix everything, boil for 1 minute.
Pour into your mold for the insert, allow to cool and then put in the fridge.

2. Coconut Mousse

-250g of cashew nuts (to besoaked overnight)
– 250g coconut cream or milk
– 50g coconut oil
– 50g grated coconut
– 2 tablespoons of Malibu

In a blender, mix everything.
Garnish with a mold that you have previously lined with greaseproof paper.
Gently insert the passionfruit insert. Place in the freezer.

3. Chocolate and Hazelnut crunchy base

-150g hazelnuts
– 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
– 5 large or 10 small dates (100g)
– 6 tablespoons of coconut oil
– 3 tablespoons grated coconut

Mix all ingredients in a blender.
Roll out the dough on a baking sheet lined with greaseproof paper (about 1 cm thick).
Place in the freezer.

4. Passion Fruit Mousse

– 2 tablespoons passion fruit curd

– 1 g of agar

– 250 ml passion fruit coulis

– 250g of cashew nuts (to be soaked overnight)

– 250g coconut cream or milk
– 2 ripe mangoes (organic and green, very small)

Mix curd, agar-agar, and coulis.
Bring to boil and let it cool.
Mix cashews with coconut milk.
Pour the passionfruit cream into the coconut mixture very gently.
Add the diced mango.
Pour everything into the mold, then place the crisp that you’ll cut to the size of the mold. Place in freezer for 1 night.

5. Passion fruit icing
– 2 tablespoons passion fruit curd
– 1 g of agar
– 250 ml passion fruit coulis

Mix everything, boil for 1 minute.
Pour into your mold insert, allow to cool and then chill.
Remove the log one hour before serving and top with the icing. You can add shaved coconut on top.