Kitchen Conundrum

Blend, A Paris Burger Haven

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I love a good hamburger and I have to say that in Paris, I’ve had the best burgers. I think it’s because the meat is just so much better there than it is here in the US. The lack of hormones and other byproducts that are mixed in just leaves you with pure, unadulterated meat.

It’s meat like that, that produces for a good base for a great burger. Add a freshly baked bun and you’ve suddenly got the makings of a spectacular burger.

At Blend, the newest burger joint in Paris, the meat, either beef or veal, comes from Yves-Marie le Bourdonnec , a Paris butcher who just happens to be a consultant to Alain Ducasse and other three-star French chefs. So you know it must be good.

As with most trendy newcomers, we had to wait outside (in January on a very cool day) until there was room inside to stand and wait. But we then had ample time to look over the menu and figure out exactly what we wanted. When it came time to seat us, we ended up sharing a table with three other people, squeezing inside each side of a table by the wall. Even though this setup is a bit awkward for those who prefer to enjoy their present company alone, it did make for some fun conversation with our tablemates, who, luckily, were very nice folks. It’s certainly intimate and cozy, just not with your own party.

(It was packed when we first arrived!)

But don’t let the small space fool you. The burgers are tops. The menu consists of four meat versions and two veggie options.  Each meat burger comes on a freshly baked buttery, brioche bun and the vegetable burgers sit atop either a spinach or tufu bun of equal delight. They are juicy and messy and really hit the spot like a good burger, craved, should.

The hand cut fries, either regular or sweet potato are lightly salted and are the perfect complement to the burgers.

(The Cheesy with it’s delectable barbeque sauce and The Champ, a mushroom burger with a lovely mint sauce on a spinach bun. MMMM Burger is right!)

If you should still have room after you’ve finished your burgers, the cheesecake and the homemade cookies are not to be missed!

I’ll definitely stop in here again and get my burger on!

BLEND 
44 rue d’Argout
75002, Paris
M° Sentier/Etienne Marcel

Bread and Roses, Paris

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Just a block away from the lovely Jardin du Luxembourg in the fashionable St Germain des Prés district is one of my favorite spots in Paris to have lunch, Bread and Roses. Besides being a bakery featuring a wide range of beautiful, organic breads, fruit tarts, luxurious slices of cheesecake and other sweet indulgences, this wonderfully cozy spot is the perfect place to enjoy a pot of tea and delight in huge, buttery, savory puff-pastry quiches filled with bright vegetables and herbs.  They are served with a generous mesclun salad infused with sprigs of dill and drizzled with a tangy and sweet mustard vinaigrette. So delicious and filling is this meal that you might not have enough room for dessert.  Which is okay, since it’s nice to purchase a variety to take home with you.

The service was impeccable and very friendly. The charming host and lovely server remembered me on my second lunch there, which, to me is always impressive and makes the whole experience much warmer and neighborly. It’s definitely a place where you can stop in for lunch and end up spending the entire afternoon, lingering over tea and scones.

And while the prices are a bit steep for those on a budget, the food warrants the investment.  After lunch on both occasions, I bought a loaf of their divine brioche to enjoy and turn into the best overnight French toast ever.

I am so looking forward to my return visit and trying to figure out how bring some of their breads with me on my walk!

Bread & Roses
7 rue de Fleurus
75006, Paris
M° Rennes or Saint-Placide

 

A Small Taste of Paris for the Rest of Us- French Onion Soup Recipe

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French Onion SoupWith Renee off living the good life in Paris for the month, the rest of the family is home braving the New York winter.  My cooking while she has been gone has taken a much more kid friendly flavor, though I do try to slip in some more adult foods now and then.  With the snow falling today, I figured  it was a perfect day for a taste of France to warm us and at least be with Renee in spirit.  On a cold snowy day like it is here in New York today nothing warms better then a hot bowl of soup and no soup says France to me more than a steaming crock of French Onion Soup.

 

Ingredients

5 Medium Onions sliced thin

½ stick of unsalted butter

1 clove of garlic chopped fine

3 tbsp dry white wine

1 bay leaf

2 sprigs fresh thyme

4 cups beef stock

Salt and pepper

4 – 1/2inch thick slices French baguette

1 cup grated Gruyere Cheese (or Swiss)

 

Method

In a stock pot, melt the butter over low heat, then add the sliced onions and garlic and sauté till nicely browned (about 35-45 min).  Don’t rush this step; keeping the heat low will let the onions caramelize slowly and evenly without getting crispy.

Add the wine, and using a wooden spoon scrape the bottom of the pot for any bits and pieces that have stuck.

Add the thyme sprigs and bay leaves.

After about a minute, add the stock. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer. Add salt and pepper to taste.  Its best to leave it a bit under salted as the soup will reduce while it is cooking and the final flavor can be adjusted before serving.

Let the soup simmer for about an hour.

While the soup is simmering toast the baguettes slices.

When the soup is ready remove the bay leaf and thyme sprigs.

Ladle the soup into 4 oven safe bowls giving each a good helping of the onions at the bottom of the bowl.

Pre-heat the broiler in your oven. (If you don’t have an in-oven broiler, you could use a blow torch to melt the cheese.)

Place the bowls on a baking tray, and float a slice of the toasted bread in each bowl, then cover with the grated cheese.

Place the whole tray under the broiler till the cheese is lightly browned and bubbly.

Carefully remove the hot bowls from the oven,  serve and enjoy a small taste of Paris!