{"id":7891,"date":"2011-11-15T15:32:25","date_gmt":"2011-11-15T23:32:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/?p=7891"},"modified":"2017-03-06T16:25:44","modified_gmt":"2017-03-07T00:25:44","slug":"paris-inspired","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/shescookin.com\/paris-inspired\/","title":{"rendered":"Paris Inspired"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Indulge me for a bit as I share a few images of Paris, oui? Meandering the narrow streets of Monmartre after ascending the many famous steps to Sacr\u00e9 Coeur,\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

stopping to catch my breath and chuckle at the irony of a satirical poster of DeGaulle as Mickey Mouse,<\/p>\n

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recalling the early \u00a0morning street protest that stopped traffic along the boulevard during morning rush hour,<\/p>\n

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a normal day in Paris; organized dissension, self expression awaiting the street sweeper…<\/p>\n

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it’s so easy to fall back into our mad routine and let the magical times spent away recede into the fog of long-term memory.<\/p>\n

I come away from these trips to Paris, pleasure trips for me – business as usual for Don, who, several times a year, resides at the Radisson Blue Hotel Ambassador on Boulevard Haussmann in the city centre near L’Opera Garnier and within walking distance of his office – invigorated, grateful, and with an altered perspective on life in the modern world, the history preceding us, being American, etc. Heavy stuff. But, no philosophical discourse here, let’s move on to the food.<\/p>\n

\"Ambassador<\/a><\/p>\n

Fortunately, we have the intrepid Muriel, a native Parisian who calls St. Germain home who speaks six languages and orchestrates all the business coming through the Paris office, to also orchestrate where we dine and assist us when our lame attempts at the French language fail completely. With business dinners every night, this is especially important now because of Don’s dietary restrictions and she made sure that the chefs were aware of his sodium allergy. She had told us that Europeans rely less on salt as a flavor enhancer than Americans and I think this is true. J’adore, Muriel! It’s wonderful to know that we have two excellent restaurants nearby that can prepare a delicious classic French dish with no sodium!<\/p>\n

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Only three blocks away, Au Petite Riche<\/span><\/a><\/strong><\/span> at 25 rue Pelletier, specializes in Loire Valley cuisine along with traditional French fare and an impressive selection of Loire Valley wines. Although I didn’t refer to any reviews before dining there, the Frommer’s<\/strong> review<\/a>\u00a0below is accurate and made me smile. Generally, we prefer traditional fare over haute cuisine and loved the old Paris ambiance, service was pleasant and efficient, and the restaurant was bustling with every table in each of the three dining areas occupied by 9:00 p.m. on both evenings (we returned on our last evening so I could try the Dover Sole which I’ve recreated here).<\/p>\n

“No, that’s not Flaubert or Balzac walking through the door, but should they miraculously return, the decor of old Paris, with the original gas lamps and time-mellowed paneling, will make them feel at home. This place opened in 1865 as the restaurant associated with the very large and then-solvent Caf\u00e9 Riche next door. After Caf\u00e9 Riche burned down, the restaurant continued to attract lawyers, set designers, and machinists from the nearby Op\u00e9ra Garnier, eventually becoming a well-known restaurant.\u00a0Charles Aznavour is an occasional patron, along with politicians and anyone interested in the nostalgia of\u00a0La Vieille France.\u00a0Expect an impressive roster of Loire Valley wines and food that combines Loire Valley classics with traditional French fare. The house is famous for its Gillardeau oysters. Other examples include roasted rack of veal prepared\u00a0\u00e0 l’ancienne,\u00a0a long-standing house special of tartare of beef, roasted whitefish in meat drippings, and seasonal game dishes such as civet of rabbit.”<\/em><\/p>\n

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\nDover Sole in Butter Sauce<\/p>\n

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\nRoasted filet of duck, risotto with cepes<\/p>\n

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\nBeef’s cheek in red wine sauce<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>Serving a cheese course<\/p>\n

We each started with an appetizer: David went with the homemade duck foie gras; I, the specialty Gillardeau\u00a0oysters; Muriel, the rustic lentil salad with lardons, and a fresh green salad with steamed haricot vert for Don. Entrees are pictured above, except for David’s – he wasn’t waiting for the food paparazzi \ud83d\ude42<\/p>\n

But let’s get to the recipe – I usually don’t ramble on this long… Don raved about the Dover sole, so I recreated it at home with Petrale Sole from Santa Monica Seafood <\/a>\u00a0and a little less butter! They also made him steamed potatoes and carrots, and I did the same – minus the aged cast iron server with the nifty hook on the side where you could put the lid when serving.<\/p>\n

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