Excerpts from the blog
Hello- it’s Chef Grenouille here… I am testing my new… very secret… ice cream recipe.
Of course I need the ambiance of the sea and the sand… and… oh my… it is rapidly melting in this extreme heat !
Anna & Bill
Boules
Chef G Visits Kevin + Michele
Sieste [sjɛst]
Il est temps pour une sieste bien nécessaire!
English translation:
It is time for a much needed nap!
I must rest and restore my culinary artistry.
G-
The menu is set for Memorial Day!
Poached Salmon
Steamed Asparagus with Egg & Avocado
Lentils
Rosé
Petits Pots de Creme au Chocolat
Enjoy!
G-
sans gluten [ sɑ̃ ˈɡluːtən ]
English translation: gluten-free
My very good friend and Creative Consultant, Michele, discovered she was gluten intolerant about six years ago. She discovered this a week before a planned trip to Paris, but was so relieved to discover the root of her digestive problems that she did not miss the croissants, baguettes, pizzas ----oh my, need I go one? Since then a bevy of gluten free products have arrived in the grocery stores, but to Michele's dismay after analyzing the ingredients she found the majority to contain unhealthy ingredients.
After working long hours in my test kitchen I was able to surprise Michele recently with my own recipe for gluten-free pizza crust.
Grenouille in his Buffalo NY Test Kitchen with sous chef Kevin Murrett
Enjoy!
G-
Souviens [s-ooh-vee-ens] Je me souviens d'une rose seule. English translation I remember a single rose. When I was 7 years old I had the opportunity to visit Sister's Hospital in Buffalo, New York to undergo a major 6 hour operation. I will not go into the details, let's just say it was quite the experience for a young girl. I recall the doctor asking me if I knew how to whistle while the anesthesiologist was preparing to put me under and to this day I have not mastered the art of whistling. At the time, our house was located on Charleston Road across the street from a nursery called Queen City, which is also Buffalo's nickname. The owner of this nursery gave me a single red rose and wished me luck shortly before I went to the hospital for what became a two week stay. This memory stayed with me along with a personal preference for a single red rose to a bouquet of one or two dozen roses of any color. After many years I moved back to this neighborhood. Each time I visited Queen City Nursery I noticed an older gentleman working away while somebody else helped me, always sensing this person might be the same person that gave me that single rose. A few weeks ago I stopped in with a friend to buy some mums and we ended up spending quite a bit of time with this man as he told us about some of the more unique items on display. The more he talked the more I felt he was the same man, and finally asked how long he had been associated with the nursery. When he said 50 years, I knew he was the same person and proceeded to tell him my story. He smiled, didn't say much and asked someone else to take care of cashing us out and he walked away. When we were ready to leave he reappeared to my surprise with one single rose and handed it to me. I couldn't believe my eyes, I was very touched. If you are ever in the neighborhood stop by Queen City Nursery and visit Dave Davis, he is an interesting guy who knows a lot about gardening. His business is the only one to survive from my childhood years along that stretch of Harlem Road in Snyder, New York. A 2010 article, published in the Amherst Bee, describes how Dave as a young man drastically changed his path in life from chemist to gardener.
Update: As of December 2017 Queen City Nursery closed it's doors forever. Read this December 2016 article in the Amherst Bee to learn more about Dave's plans for his next chapter!
lunettes [loo-net]
Chef Grenouille egare souvent se lunettes.
English translation
Chef Grenouille often misplaces his eyeglasses.
Eyeglasses are optical devices worn to aid vision.
Eyeglasses are important not only for correcting our vision, but they have become a fashion accessory with an unlimited number of styles to chose from. But, "for many people living in the developing world, impaired vision is a way of life. The inability to see correctly can negatively impact a person’s education, employment, safety and quality of life. In sub-Saharan Africa alone, nearly 95% of people who need eyeglasses do not own a pair."
James Chen is the founder of Adlens variable focus eyewear and the Vision for a Nation Foundation with a goal of providing universal access to eyeglasses.
crème brûlée [krem broo-ley]
English translation
burnt cream
The literal translation must not be taken to heart when preparing crème brûlée, this dessert is magnificent when torched to a perfect color and consistency, not burnt!
The image above is a scene from my second book, "Deux Pastis S'il Vous Plait" where Chef Plombé is attempting to perfect his crème brûlée recipe for his boss, French President Monsieur Petit and his wife Clarisse. An E-book version of this humorous adventure is now available for viewing on your Ipad in Ibooks.
A crème brûlée offered with a flavor added or fruit on top does not generally appeal to me, I prefer the traditional recipe. But this trio of miniatures (pistachio, chocolate & au natural), with exceptional preparation and wonderful flavors, intrigued my friend Michele at La Mère Germaine in Villefranche-sur-mer a seaside restaurant located at the edge of the Mediterranean Sea. As you can see, she really did not enjoy them........
argent [ahr-juh
nt]
Elle travaille dur pour l'argent.
English translation:
She works hard for the money.
Money is used to pay for goods & services and to pay people for their work.
Traveling from France's Nice aéroport to Provence, La Piano Bar Restaurant in Rognes is a delightful destination for a lovely al fresco lunch. At La Piano you will find a creative reuse of old 33-1/3 and 45 rpm records as menus. The example here is Donna Summer's 1983 title track single from the album "She Works Hard for the Money" in it's second life as a dessert menu. Donna gained fame in the 1970's and was a five time Grammy winner. Sadly Donna was diagnosed with lung cancer unrelated to smoking and died at the age of 63 in May of this year.
