Our visit with Paule started with a tour of the various markets in Les Halles:
Paule is a bundle of energy, full of insights on French culture, life in Paris, what is best in life and how one should live it. She led us through a great tour of Paris markets, cooked with us for a few hours, taught us about French cheeses during a great tasting, and then hosted a fantastic lunch complete with a great conversation about food, wine, politics, religion and sex! She also told me one of the best papal jokes I've ever heard.
Somehow I did not get a picture of Paule in action. So, here is Paule (on the right) in her kitchen, from a picture posted on her website:
We were joined on our tour and class by Steve and Patricia from NY, Cheryl from San Francisco, and Carolina from Luxembourg. Here is a shot of Jenny in Paule's kitchen:
Our cheese tasting was in the following order:
The highlights for me were the Pouligny, the Saint-Nectaire and the Comté. The Comté was a revelation. First 3 bites were like a cheese I might not normally choose to eat, but the 4th bite was like a chocolate candy bar. Incredible. Jenny loved the Fourme d'Ambert - a superb blue cheese.
We spent a few hours cooking the following (recipes available for those who ask nicely):
Terrine de legumes du jardin (vegetable terrine)
Sauce veirge
Tian d'Agneau (baked lamb with eggplant and tomato)
White Asparagus
Tarte aux Fraises Creme d'Amandes (strawberry tart with almond cream)
Souffle au Chocolat (chocolate soufflé)
Paule also shared her family recipe for tart crust. She's already shared it with her friend David Lebovitz, Paris resident and American author of The Sweet Life in Paris. Here is the recipe on David's blog: The Caillat Family Crust.
If you are interested in learning more about Paris, French culture, shopping in the great food markets in Paris, French cooking, or papal jokes, you should contact Paule at Promenades Gourmandes. It will be a highlight of your trip to Paris.
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