05/04/2017
(Français) Tournée Cointreau Fizz

Cointreau revives its tour this summer with a traveling ~~food~~truck from 14th of June to 6th of August. You can discover 3 fresh and sparkling cocktails in Paris and France, and create your own cocktails during DIY workshops.

The first dates of the Cointreau Fizz tour:

La Dame de Canton – Paris
Wednesday 21th June until Sunday 25th of June

Le Monte Carlo Bay – Monaco
From Thursday 13th of July until Sunday 16th of July

Le Little Temple Bar – Marseille
From Thursday 20th of July until Saturday 22nd of July

Price of the cocktail: 10 €

Find the 40 dates on the Facebook page and Cointreau website

13/03/2017
Pomegranate and endive salad

The Ingredients (for 2)

– 2 endives
– 1 pomegranate
– a bunch of alfalfa
– a few mushrooms
– a pinch of sumac
– 1 lemon
– olive oil

The Recipe

1. Peel and cut the mushrooms with a mandolin. Remove the heart of the endives and cut them finely.
2. In a bowl, combine the mushrooms, endives, lemon juice. Sprinkle with olive oil, salt, pepper and let it marinate.
3. Before serving, add the alfalfa shoots, pomegranate seeds, mix well. You can also add some cheese like feta!

08/03/2017
Tavline

Tavline, which means “spices” in Hebrew, has just opened its doors in the heart of the Marais. The raw stone walls, the oriental embroidered cushions, and especially the sunny good mood of Karen Benichou form a warm cocoon. In the kitchen, the Israeli chef Kobi Malka – trained at Ducasse – prepares with subtlety delicacies from his country of origin and is also inspired by the recipes of his Moroccan mother. Having lived 4 years in Israel myself fifteen years ago, I was happy to catch on at Tavline these typical generous meals, a true explosion of flavors, spices, soft bread that can be eaten endlessly by dipping them in the chef’s homemade sauces. The sardines are of irreproachable freshness, marinated to perfection; the homemade houmous is a pure delight, just like this cauliflower seasoned with sesame sauce (tahiné) and tomato pulp, the fattouche salad fresh and slightly acidulated. My favorites: the burnt aubergine with smoked paprika melting in mouth, or these soft fish balls (ktsitaot) and their magical sauce, decorated with pomegranate seeds. No more place in my belly to taste desserts that looked irresistible (Lebanese flan with rose water, lemon cream and lavender crumble,…): we will come back without further delay!

Tavline
25 Rue du Roi de Sicile
75004 Paris

Starters: 6-8 €
Mains: 16-18 €
Desserts: 6-8 €

28/02/2017
Cranberries gluten free cake

The Ingredients

– 150g fresh cranberries
– 1 egg
– 150g gluten free flour (I used Marks and Spencer’s, you can also mix rice and corn flour together)
– 50g melted butter
– 40g sugar (I don’t like sweet desserts, but you can put more if you like)
– 1 tbsp bag of baking powder
– 150g of Amazonia nuts, almonds, pecan nuts, nuts

The Recipe
1. In a bowl, mix the egg and 20g of sugar. Add the melted butter and then the flour. You have to obtain a very smooth paste without lumps.
2. Add the yeast and mix again, then pour the cranberries in.
3. In a buttered cake pan, pour the dough. Place the nuts on top and sprinkle with remaining 20g sugar. Put more sugar if you want to get well caramelized nuts.
4. Place in a preheated oven at 180 ° C for 35 minutes. Check if the cake is cooked with the tip of a knife.

24/02/2017
Theva Residency – Kandy

Here the second chapter of my trip in Sri Lanka, with a stop in Kandy, located in the center of the country at 500 meters above sea level. To have a look at my favorite spots of the city, you can read my article City Guide. Kandy is a very lively city, teeming with people and color, nuanced by the lush forests around.

I was lucky to discover the sublime Theva Residency, nestled in the heights of the city. Here only calm reigns, we can just hear the multitude of exotic birds converse, a few buffalos roar, monkeys agitate the leaves of palm trees, or wild dogs barking. The 360° view is breathtaking, especially when the sun goes down and the mountains stand out like prints; pinks blend into the blues of the sky and the green of the mountains. The hotel is built so that you can enjoy this incredible view everywhere: in the dark blue infinity pool, in the restaurant or on the terraces of each room. The team is very attentive, and their kindness promotes the feeling of floating in a wellness bubble.

Avocado smoothie

the amazing swimming pool

rooms and bathrooms

The chef and his team, rewarded by several awards, offer the most refined and delicate Sri Lankan cuisine. I discovered all the specialties of the country, the rice and curry with its thousand spices, consisting of 28 dishes, local exotic fruit smoothies (papaya, passion fruit, pineapple, mango, banana, …); but what I preferred above all was the breakfast! Not only because it’s a full-fledged meal and it gives you energy for the whole day, but also because I’ve discovered the hoppers, these little crunchy crêpes shaped in half-sphere, based of coconut milk (or coconut water) and rice flour, a pure delight. The chef makes also hopper noodles, based on rice flour; rotis, a sort of little pancakes to die for with fresh grated coconut. You will have noticed, in Sri Lanka it is rather easy to eat without gluten, which is great for me! The coconut is at the heart of many dishes, Sri Lankans cook it as an oil, freshly grated in salads, in milk with some curry dishes,…
The chef also offers European cuisine at all meals, such as his pretty asparagus soup served in a homemade bread bowl.

Prawn and chicken curry, red rice

spicy coconut salad / vegetable curry

I slipped into the kitchens, and the chef and his sous-chef taught me some typical recipes like chicken curry, of which I reveal the secrets…

The chef’s Chicken Recipe1. In a saucepan, fry some mustard seeds, cardamom, 2 cloves and fenugreek seeds in oil.
2. Add fresh ginger, garlic and 1 chopped onion.
3. Sprinkle with curry powder, chili powder, saffron powder, then add the chicken into pieces.
4. Pour 1/2 glass of tomato juice and a little water.
5. Simmer for 15 minutes and serve with coriander.

the sous-chef HMCM Herath

the Chef BHB Bogahalanda

Theva Residency
11 / B5 / 10 – 1, 6th Lane | off Upper Tank Rd, off Circular 2 Rd, Hantanna
Kandy
Sri Lanka

07/02/2017
Shakshuka in 5 minutes

Shakshuka is an Israeli dish made with eggs and tomatoes. The recipes vary a lot, you can add lemon, fresh herbs, peppers, harissa, labne… I have completely improvised this one, and I ate it with halloumi. It turned out really good!

The Ingredients
– 2 fresh or canned tomatoes
– 1 clove of garlic
– 1 teaspoon of cumin
– a pinch of thyme, rosemary
– a pinch of sumac
– some pine nuts
– 2 eggs (organic preferably)
– fresh parsley

The Recipe
1. In a pan, fry the chopped garlic in olive oil.
2. Add the diced tomatoes, and the spices. Salt and pepper.
3. Once the sauce has simmered well, break the eggs in the pan, and add the pine nuts.
4. Serve once the eggs are cooked but the yellow is still runny, add pinch of sumac to finish, with some fresh chopped parsley.