Nature's Wisdom

Within the seed of your desire is everything necessary for it to blossom to fulfillment.

Heavenly winter desserts ... 100% pears

For the holidays, we were really happy to receive a a box filled of goodies from our family. This shipment from Harry and David included a box of Royal Riviera pears, an heirloom Comice pear that originated in Anjou. {A region in the lower Loire Valley of western France.} As soon as I saw these gorgeous fruits, I knew I had to bake them into something heavenly. After some research through my baking binders, I found 2 recipes that would suit that delicious Comice pear, which also happen to be my favorite.

The first one is a caramelized pears tart with a mascarpone cream. I was interested in trying this recipe because of its unusual crust: a typical shortbread from Brittany. Usually made with salted butter, this shortbread dough also include baking powder to give it a flaky texture. The contrast of a salty and flaky crust with the smoothness of the mascarpone cream, and the melting caramelized pears is simply out of this world .... Needless to say to say that this recipe has become a keeper.!!



The second recipe is a light winter delight ... poached pears in a vanilla syrup, a recipe from Pierre Hermé. Les poires au sirop vanillé as we call them in French, is a refreshing way to end a meal. Rich in flavor but still respecting the integrity of the fruit, this desert is to be enjoyed without {almost} no moderation.

I had some extra dough from the caramelized pears tart, so I baked some shortbread cookies that worked really well with these poached pears.

Caramelized pears tart with a mascarpone cream
(Recipe for 6 persons)

Shortbread crust
200 gr flour
150 gr soften butter
130 gr sugar
2 egg yolks
13 gr baking powder
6 gr Kosher salt or sea salt

Filling
3 pears
2 tbs butter
1 tbs Honey
50 gr pistachios
50 ml Rhum or Brandi
250 gr mascarpone
100 gr sugar

Preparing the shortbread crust
On a standmixer fitted with a paddle attachment, mix the egg yolk and sugar. Them add the butter, flour, baking powder and salt. Finish working with your hands to make sure the dough is homogenous. Do not overwork. Let it rest for at least one hour in the fridge covered with a plastic film. Roll the dough and fill a 22cm / 9 inch pastry ring or pie pan. {I like my crust to be rather thick to mimic a shortbread.}
Cook at 160°C / 320°F until golden, about 20 minutes. Let it cool down.

Preparing the caramelized pears
Sear the pears, cut in halves with the butter and honey. Once melted, added the Rhum or Brandi and pistachios. Let it reduce and caramelized.

Finishing the tart
Mix the mascarpone and sugar, and spread on the tart crust. Top with the caramelized pear.

Poached pears with a vanilla syrup from Pierre Hermé
(Recipe for 4 to 6 pears - From the cookbook Le Larousse des Desserts)

4 - 6 pears
500 ml water
250 gr sugar
2 lemons
1 vanilla bean (split and scraped)

Peel and core the pears to remove all the seeds. Rub them with the juice of 1 lemon.

In a large saucepan, combine the water, sugar, vanilla bean and the juice of a half lemon. Add the pears and bring to a boil. Cook on a gentle boil for 10 - 15 minutes. Test the readiness with a knife, the pears still need to be slightly firm. Let them cool down, and keep in the fridge for at least 3 hours, overnight is better. Enjoy!

Hand-tied bouquet with a spring feel

Every time I see gorgeous roses at my local supermarket, I can't resist ... I have to buy them. {I do have more than a sweet spot for flowers.} Their cheerful bright color just reminded me that Spring is just around the corner, at least here in California!

To create this bouquet, I started by creating an armature with the curly willow. Unlike the one I made for the Rustic Chic bridal bouquet, I created more volume by looping the curly willow in different directions. Once the base was made, I inserted the roses, grouping them by color and working on depth so that all the flowers do not end-up at the same level. I then added the tulips whose stems are more fragile. I usually like to take them out of water for 1 hour before designing, so that they become more manageable. I finished by adding the thyme at the base. I used some wrapping material to conceal my tying point.

{Materials}
12 light yellow roses
8 bright orange roses
10 yellow tulips
1 bunch of curly willow
2 bunch of thyme
wrapping material or ribbon

Le Grand Véfour, History and Haute Cuisine in the heart of Paris

I was fortunate to spend 6 weeks in Provence last summer. During this stay, we decided to spend a couple of days in Paris, which is always a lot of fun especially in the summer when the city is empty. I was treated to Le Meurice, one of the 4 palaces in Paris, as well as a visit to Le Grand Véfour restaurant, only a walking distance away from the hotel. Located in the heart of Paris in the 1st Arrondissement, adjacent to the well known Palais Royal Gardens and near to Le Louvre museum, Le Grand Véfour is a two Michelin star gourmet restaurant run since 1991 by Chef Guy Martin.

I have a lot of admiration for Chef Guy Martin who hosts a weekly show on TV5* called Épicerie Fine {Gourmet Delights}. Each show will focus on one ingredient Chef Guy Martin uses in his kitchen, as well as on the farmers and artisans that are behind them. Martin ardently espouses the cause of his légumes oubliés. "All these vegetables are forgotten in Paris and the big cities, but not in the villages," he says. "There, where food is seasonal, you find rutabaga, crosnes, spelt."He devotes much time to seeking out authentic producers of old-fashioned ingredients. The show is way for him to celebrate the savoir-faire, passion and proudness his producers have for their trade and products.
*A french TV network available worldwide.

Le Grand Véfour is a very unique institution in Paris because that it was the first Grand restaurant to open in France in 1784 by Antoine Aubertot. The restaurant first known as the Café de Chartres was later purchased in 1820 by Jean Véfour who rechristened it. Through the Second Empire, the Belle Epoque, into the twentieth century, Le Grand Véfour was at the center of Parisian society*. Over the last 2 centuries many celebrities {Napoleon and Josephine, Danton, Victor Hugo, Colette, Maria Callas and Cocteau} were regulars here and each table is named after one of them.
*To learn more about the history of Le Grand Véfour, I recommend the reading of this expose.

The arcades of the Palais-Royal where we can read "Café de Chartres"


The arcades of the Palais-Royal


Inside the arcades of the Palais-Royal

I was hoping to see Chef Guy Martin, and it was my lucky day. He was very kind, soft spoken and passionate; the exact same person I'm used to see every week on TV. Native from a small village in Savoie {the French Alpine}, the self-taugh chef knows how to create a welcoming atmosphere ... so much you could almost forget you are in an iconic place where a crew of 40 people are here to serve the fortunate 50 clients.

"I cook, like a mother cooks for her children. I cook because I love to cook. I wish to please and to be close to my clients. If one day I find that I cook because I have to, I will stop."

I was blown away by the decor. The dining rooms are furnished with red velvet banquettes and simple black-and-gold Directoire chairs. Most of the ceilings and walls have liver-spotted mirrors in gilt frames or delicate glass-covered paintings in the Neoclassical style. The restaurant survived many crisis, the last one being on Christmastime 1984, when a provocateur tossed a bomb into the dining room, requiring a restoration effort that consumed 16,000 hours. Today, the building is a protected historical monument and must be preserved the way it is ... so no edgy remodel is planned in the future.

Chef Guy Martin


Dining room


Dining set


Le Grand Véfour dining room - Ceiling detail


Dining Room - A private salon is available on the first floor.


Le Menu du Grand Véfour - Cover designed by Jean Cocteau

Comfortably seated on a banquette bearing a copper plate with the name of Balzac, we studied the menu which included classic dishes such as The pigeon Prince Rainier III {a deboned pigeon, stuffed with foie gras, black truffles, and veal forcemeat - used to be a favorite of Prince Rainier III of Monaco}, traditional recipes from the French Alps {the native region of the chef} as well as more contemporary creations with yuzu and tonka bean. We chose different dishes to have a good overview of Guy Martin's cuisine, including of course his signature duck foie gras raviolis with a truffle-flavored emulsion.

While enjoying a glass of Champagne offered by the chef, the Maitre d' gave us a full historic background of the place. Few restaurants in Paris, or for that matter anywhere, are the equal of Le Grand Véfour for innate grandeur, historic context, and graciousness of service. At the end of our meal, Romain the Maitre Sommelier gave me a restaurant's postcard where he attached the wine label from the bottle we enjoyed during our diner. A very delicate attention...

Le Menu du Grand Véfour


Mise en Bouche


Beaune 1er Cru, Clos des Mouches 2007 - Domaine Nicolas Rossignol


Ravioles de foie gras, crème foisonnée truffée (Duck liver raviolis, truffles cream emulsion) - 94 €


Langoustines juste saisies, tomates roties aux aromates, crumble au vinaigre balsamique (Big Bay prawns fried quickly, roasted tomatoes with aromates, balsamic vinegar crumble) - 108€


Filet de Saint-Pierre cuit sur la peau, pousse d'épinard au parmesan, émulsion de piment doux fumé, fin copeaux de Chorizo (Filet of John Doré fish roasted on its skin, spinach leaves with parmesan, sweet smoked pimiento emulsion, thin slices of chorizo) - 96€


Ris de veau croustillant aux petits pois et gnocchis de carotte, jus rehaussé au cresson (Crispy Sweetbread with small peas and carrot, watercress juice) - 96€


La Table des fromages fermiers de France et de Savoie (Selected farm cheeses from France and Savoy region) - 32€


Pre-Desserts - Mignardises - Pastry Chef Thierry Molinengo


Pre-Desserts - Mignardises


Moelleux au fromage frais en faisselle, des fraises et rhubarbe en sorbet (Soft white cheese, strawberries and rhubarb in sherbet)- 34€


Palet noisette et chocolat au lait, glace au caramel brun et prise de sel Guérande (Milk chocolate mousse on hazelnut pastry, caramel ice-cream and Guérande sea salt) - 34€


Crème brulée aux artichauts, légumes confits, sorbet aux amandes ameres (Artichoke « crème brûlée », candies vegetables, bitter almonds sherbet) - 34€

We had an incredible culinary experience at Le Grand Véfour. Although the price may be a bit stiff*, I would highly recommend the restaurant, especially if you are visiting Paris and are interested in French history.
*The restaurant has a lunchtime set menu called "Les Dejeuners du Grand Véfour" at 98€, a real bargain

Entrance of the restaurant - Waiting for a taxi


With the Chef!

For more information

Le Grand Véfour

17, Rue du Beaujolais
75001 Paris
Tel: +33 (0)1 42 96 56 27
Fax: +33 (0)1 42 86 80 71
Closed annually: August, Dec 24th & 25th, Jan 1rst.
Website and Contact page

The restaurant is open for Lunch and Dinner everyday except Saturdays & Sundays. A fix price menus at 98€ is available on lunchtime only. On both Lunch and dinner, A la Carte service as well as a fixed price Menu Plaisir at 298€ are proposed. A lovely private, restored and air-conditioned salon that can accommodate 8 to 20 guests is available on the first floor.

Interactive map

Check out our interactive map of Paris to see where I took all the pictures featured in this article.

Nature's Wisdom

This is not the end, but the beginning. All endings start something better.

{Neale Walsch}

Homemade caramels - {Chocolate & Butterscotch}

To continue on my previous post on homemade goodies for the holidays, I decided to try my luck on caramels, another sweet treat I learned to make during a Black Market Bakery's candies workshop. The result was pretty spectacular ... and everybody loved them! Moreover, they are quite easy to make provided you have a heavy duty saucepan and a reliable candy thermometer, and once wrapped in waxed paper or cellophane, they can last for a month ... also they never do!

Making caramel is pretty fascinating. With only 4 main ingredients: heavy cream, sugar, corn syrup and butter, I was able to create numerous delicious candies that can be easily shipped to family and friends. Since our relatives are mostly on the East Coast, France and Canada, I'm always on the look for homemade goodies that can be mailed ... and caramel is becoming number one on my list!



I decided to redo the chocolate caramel I experimented during the candy workshop, and also to try a traditional caramel recipe I found in a recent Food & Travel magazine, UK edition. Both candies were great. You can create some variations on these recipes by adding additional flavorings at the very last minute before you pour the syrup on the baking sheet {Ex: Instant expresso powder and orange peel}. You can also sprinkle half a cup of toasted sesame seeds or toasted unsweetened coconut on the parchment-linen baking sheet.

Some words of advice to make the perfect caramel. First chose a large heavy duty pan. The cream will create a lot of extremely hot bubbling foam that you don't want have on your cooktop. Also, watch your temperature because the hotter the syrup, the harder the finished candy will be, so precision is key. {Make sure you have a good digital candy thermometer!}. And finally, be attentive and stir well during the cooking as it can create certain "hotspots" in the pan and cook very quickly. Make sure your parchment-linen pan is ready before you start.



For the packaging, I found some nice tin boxes at my local craft store. I found it pretty difficult to find tin cans during the year, except during the holidays season. So I usually tend to stock my tins during that period. Some designs are not too holiday{ish}, and can be used at other time during the year. I also found some nice candy wrappers in 2 colors {Gold and Red}, that I used to differentiate the chocolate from the butterscotch flavor. I also created a cute label with a description and ingredients each type of caramel, just in case someone may be allergic to one ingredient. Some nice shiny ribbons and festive silk flowers ... et voila ... A delicious gift filled with love!



Chocolate caramels
(Recipe for 50 candies - courtesy of Black Market Bakery)

375 ml heavy cream
275 gr sugar
70 gr butter
150 gr corn syrup
55 gr dark chocolate

Prepare the 8" square pan by spraying with non-stick spray and line with a piece of parchment.

Place the cream, sugar, butter and corn syrup into a large saucepan. Make sure there is a candy thermometer in the saucepan. Stir over medium heat until dissolved. Add the chocolate and stir until homogenous. Stop stirring. Raise the heat to medium high and bring to a boil without stirring. Cook to 115°C / 240°F, and then begin stirring again. From now on do not stop stirring. If you do, the caramel may burn in spots. Now cook to 124°C / 255°F

Pour the hot caramel into the prepared pan, but do not scrape the pan. Whatever sticks to the inside of the pot is too dark and should be discarded. Let the caramel cool until firm, then turn out of the pan and cut into the desired size using a sharp knife or a pizza cutter.

Butterscotch caramels
(Recipe for 50 candies - courtesy of Food and Travel magazine)

400 ml heavy cream
160 gr unsalted butter, diced at room temperature plus extra for greasing
320 gr corn syrup
400 gr sugar
2 tsp salt plus extra for sprinkle
2 tsp of vanilla extract

Line a 9" / 20cm square pan with parchment paper and lightly grease with butter.

In a small saucepan, heat the cream with half of the butter. Add the vanilla extract and sea salt, and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat, cover with a lid and keep warm.

In another large-size, heavy duty saucepan, heat the corn syrup with the sugar, stirring gently until smooth. Continue to heat the syrup until it reaches 155°C and 310°F, using a sugar thermometer to check. To get an accurate reading, tilt the saucepan to make sure the probe is fully submerged in the syrup. Leave the thermometer and turn the heat right down before slowly stirring in the warm cream until the mixture is smooth. Turn the up the heat again the mixture reaches 127°C / 260°F.

Take out the thermometer, remove the saucepan from heat and thoroughly stir in the remaining butter until it's all melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour into the prepared pan and place on a rack until completely cool, then lift out the caramel, peel back the baking paper and, taking great care, slice the bar into cube with a sharp knife or a pizza cutter.

Wrap the caramel in wax papper or cellophane. They will keep for almost a month in an airtight container.