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Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris
Clotilde Dusoulier
By
Published: May 21, 2009
Category:
Food and Wine
There’s always a Parisian who sees her city with wide-eyed romanticism — and finds gold in that innocence. As Clotilde Dusolier walked her city, she learned to worship at the shrine of practical gastronomy. She started a blog. It grew into a book, Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen. And now the book has spawned a guide.
Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris is wonderfully idiosyncratic — that is, it’s not the same old list of restaurants and shops tricked up with a few fresh adjectives. Many of the 164 restaurants, bistros, wine bars, and salons de thé and 130 bakeries, pastry shops, cheese shops, bookstores, chocolate and candy shops that Clotilde favors are new to me. And the nicely rounded corners of the small paperback suggest that someone realized this is a book that will be pulled out of a handbag or pocket often during a Paris visit.
Clotilde isn’t a 4-star snob. She prizes the French concept of bon rapport qualité/prix — good value for the money. She introduces you to dishes and drinks, like lait ribot, a lightly sparkling fermented milk. She takes her own photographs. On her web site, she offers a thoughtful list of updated information.
And she can write:
…Oh Bigre! is a warmly-lit, shabby-chic place that’s open from early evening, just in time for the apéritif, till two in the morning, when most Parisian bars close. In the meantime, a large number of glasses will have been served, alongside simple but eloquent platters of vegetables, cheeses, French or Spanish charcuterie, terrines, or oysters (in season), each option listed alongside the name of its provider. Don’t look for a written wine list; there is none. Just explain the sort of wine you’d like to drink and the staff will come up with something from the cellar to make you happy.
As a bonus, she serves us some recipes that are in character with her good-and-good-for-you esthetic. Here’s a simple soup that, like her book, is a twist on an old favorite:
SOUPE FROIDE DE COURGETTE ET CONCOMBRE AUX HERBES
Chilled Zucchini and Cucumber Soup with Herbs
Serves 6
1 large or 2 medium unpeeled cucumbers (about 10 ounces)
Fine sea salt
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 large or 2 small yellow onions (about 12 ounces), finely minced
one third cup dry white wine
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves (or half teaspoon dried thyme)
1 tablespoon fresh tarragon leaves, loosely packed (or one and a half teaspoons dried tarragon)
Freshly ground black pepper
4 small zucchini (about 2 pounds), cut into thick slices
half cup plus 2 tablespoons whipping cream
Handful fresh mint leaves
Handful fresh sorrel leaves (can substitute baby spinach or arugula)
Tabasco (or similar hot sauce), to taste
half cup fresh goat cheese
For the optional croutons:
2 slices country-style bread (about 4 ounces), diced
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Quarter the cucumber lengthwise, carve out the seeds and thinly slice. Transfer to a colander, sprinkle with half teaspoon salt, toss to coat and set aside to drain.
Heat the tablespoon of olive oil in a large soup pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and onions and cook for 5 minutes, or until the onions start to sweat, stirring regularly to keep the onions from browning.
Pour in the wine, scrape the bottom of the pot with a wooden spoon, and cook until the wine is entirely evaporated. Add the stock, thyme, tarragon, one quarter teaspoon pepper and half teaspoon salt. Cover and bring to a boil. Add the zucchini and simmer for 10 minutes, uncovered, or until the zucchini is just tender.
Remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes. Shake the colander that holds the cucumber to remove as much moisture as possible. Add 1 cup cream and the cucumber to the pot and purée until smooth with an immersion blender. (You can also use a blender to purée the soup, working in batches until all is smooth.) Transfer purée to a bowl and let cool to room temperature — about 30 minutes. Cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least one to one-and-a-half hours.
Soup can be prepared to this point up to a day before serving.
When ready to serve the soup, finely chop the mint and sorrel. Stir the herbs into the soup, season with Tabasco sauce, taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
Prepare the croutons: Preheat the oven to the broiler setting. Combine the diced bread and the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a medium bowl. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and toss to coat. Spread on a rimmed baking sheet and place under the broiler for a few minutes, until golden brown. Watch closely to prevent burning and stir the croutons regularly to ensure even browning. Set aside to cool.
To serve: In a small bowl, combine the goat cheese and the remaining 2 tablespoons cream. Sprinkle with a little salt and pepper and beat with a fork until smooth. Ladle the soup into serving bowls. Place a rounded tablespoon of goat cheese in the center of each plate, sprinkle croutons in a circle around it, and serve immediately.
— by Jesse Kornbluth, for HeadButler.com
To buy “Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris” from Amazon.com, click here.
To buy the Kindle edition of “Clotilde’s Edible Adventures in Paris” from Amazon.com, click here.
To visit Clotilde Dusoulier’s web site, click here.
